Harry Potter and the Spiritual Heirs
by Phoenix Burst
Summary: Post OotP. Harry inherits more than gold from Sirius and his parents. Now he must train to fight Voldemort while fighting against Dumbledore's manipulations. Full Summary inside. Slight Dumbledore Weasley bashing. Review!
1. Inheritance

**Disclaimer**- I don't own Harry Potter

**Full Summary**- _After the events that occurred at the Department of Mysteries, Harry is sinking into a depression. His father figure, Sirius Black, is dead and there isn't a moment when Harry doesn't blame himself. Just when Harry has reached rock bottom, he is summoned by the goblins to attend Sirius' will hearing. But, what Harry leaves with, besides a considerable amount of gold and land, is a growing mistrust of his best friend, Ron Weasley, and his role model, Albus Dumbledore. With a new found resolve, Harry trains to overcome the two powerful wizards who are responsible for his life as an orphan. But, Harry can't defeat these two wizards alone. He needs the spiritual heirs of the four houses to help him overcome this danger. Together with his three best friends and their true familiars, they work together to save the wizarding world from the Dark Lord and themselves._

* * *

Harry Potter sat on his bed in his pitifully small bedroom in house number 4 on Privet Drive. His room was the smallest in the house, but Harry didn't care. A couple of posters covered the walls, but that hardly lifted the gloom that hung in the air. Clothes and books were scattered among the floor along with a few broken ink bottles that had been thrown against the wall in Harry's rage.

Downstairs Harry could hear his only relatives sitting down for dinner, but by the muffled sound of it they were enjoying the absence of Harry's company. The Dursleys were Harry's only surviving relatives. His Uncle, Vernon, and cousin, Dudley, were only describable by their massive size. In fact, on numerous occasions Harry had referred to Dudley as a "land bound whale". His Aunt Petunia was his mother's sister, and the sole reason that Harry lived in this hell hole.

Harry was a wizard. And a famous wizard at that. The scar that resided on his forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt was a constant reminder of why Harry was famous, and, more importantly, why he lived as an orphan. When Harry Potter was a year old, an extremely powerful dark wizard by the name Lord Voldemort, had killed his parents and had attempted to kill Harry himself. But, when Voldemort had muttered the curse that kills its victim on the spot, Harry had survived and Voldemort had been torn from his body, presumably dead.

During Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry was kidnapped and his blood was used to bring Lord Voldemort back. Last year at school, Harry had seen a vision of his beloved godfather being tortured at the Ministry of Magic. Desperate to save one of the few family members he had left, Harry had rushed to save him along with five of his friends. The vision had ended up being a trap, and Harry had watched while his friends had nearly been killed and he also watched Sirius Black get knocked through a veil and die.

Harry clenched his fists in anger when he pictured his godfather's face. No matter how hard Harry tried, he could not stop picturing the last moment of Sirius' life.

_It's my fault_, he thought despairingly. _I got him killed and nearly got all my friends killed as well._ The same thoughts ran his head nonstop every minute of every day. Even though the accident had happened two weeks ago, Harry could picture every moment.

After the incident Harry was informed of the prophecy that was the cause of why Voldemort attacked his parents. The prophecy had been kept in the Department of Mysteries, and Voldemort had sent Harry the vision of Sirius being tortured in order to get Harry to retrieve the prophecy. In the end the prophecy had been destroyed and Harry had to hear the full from his headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

"I have to kill Voldemort," Harry whispered to himself in the dark room. He looked up to his dresser where his snowy owl, Hedwig, glanced at him anxiously. "I'm sorry girl," he mumbled. "I know that I haven't been great company lately. It's just so hard. I can't eat and I can barely sleep. If this keeps up, I'll probably waste away by the end of the summer."

Hedwig hooted in dismay and shook her head.

Harry smiled and got off of the squeaky bed. He walked over and gently stroked his owl's beautiful feathers. "I don't want to waste away, but I just can't seem to crawl out of this hole that I'm in."

The pair stood there in silence for a moment when Harry's uncle's voice echoed throughout the house.

"Boy!" he shouted. "Get down here this instant!"

Harry sighed and shared a glance with Hedwig. "I'll be right back girl."

Harry left his room and quickly headed downstairs to the kitchen. His uncle and cousin were sitting at the table while his aunt was adding more and more food to Dudley's plate.

"What is it Uncle Vernon?" Harry asked coldly.

Uncle Vernon glared at Harry and snorted. "Don't take that tone with me boy," he snapped. "I only wanted to see your scrawny face to tell you that Petunia, Dudley and I are going to London for the day and I don't want you helping yourself to anything in my house."

Harry glared at his uncle and shrugged. "I wouldn't want to touch anything in your house anyway. Believe me, I'll be out of here the second I can."

"I can't wait," Vernon growled. "Living with a freak like you for fifteen years has had a bad effect on me and my family. The sooner you're out of here the better."

"Whatever," Harry mumbled. Without another word, Harry stormed back upstairs. Taking care to slam his door loudly, Harry jumped on his bed and shouted in his pillow in frustration.

Hedwig hooted in concern and Harry looked up at her with defeat in his eyes.

"I'm just so tired of it Hedwig," he whispered. "I should have grown up with my parents or Sirius, but because of me they're all dead. Everyone around me dies and I can't do anything about it."

Harry sat on his bed and buried his head in his hands. Downstairs he heard the Dursleys head out to London, leaving Harry alone once more. Harry sat on his bed, wallowing in self-pity, for who knows how long when a brown owl flew up to his window holding an official looking letter.

Standing up, Harry took the letter from the owl, which flew off instantly, and sat back down to read it.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_We here at Gringotts are inclined to inform you of the reading of the will of one Sirius Orion Black. We have also recently looked through the will of your parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Potter. These will readings are requested to be private, and extreme precautions will be taken to make sure that we are not overheard. Due to the high stature of these two wills, we can hold the reading whenever you are ready. When you are ready simply sign your name on the parchment and a goblin will arrive to take you to Gringotts. Due to the uncertain times and security measures, we are sending a goblin who has served you before. Feel free to question him to assure yourself that he is the real goblin even though wizards cannot impersonate a goblin._

_I look forward to meeting you in person,_

_Ragnok, Head Goblin at Gringotts. _

Harry felt his stomach drop painfully. It had never occurred to him that Sirius might have left him something in his will, but Harry wasn't sure that he wanted anything that would inevitably remind him of what he had lost.

Looking up at Hedwig, Harry asked, "What do you think girl? Should I go to Gringotts and listen to the wills?"

Hedwig nodded and flapped her wings. It never ceased to amaze Harry how intelligent his owl was. If only Hedwig could talk, then Harry wouldn't need one-sided conversations anymore.

Taking out a quill and one of his few remaining ink bottles, Harry signed his name on the letter. His signature glowed for a moment before disappearing altogether. Harry didn't need to wait long. After a moment there was a faint 'pop' in the corner of his room. Drawing his wand, Harry pointed it at the small goblin that was standing close to the door. Harry quickly recognized the goblin Griphook who had been the first goblin that he had met.

Griphook bowed respectfully and eyed the wand with caution. "Greetings Harry Potter, I am here to escort you to the will reading. Our Director, Ragnok, was most pleased that you responded so quickly. If you want to question me to assure yourself that I am the real Griphook, now is the time."

Harry thought quickly for a moment, thinking back to his first visit to Gringotts. "Who was with me during my first visit to Gringotts and what vault did he take something out of?"

"You were escorted by Rubeus Hagrid, and he requested to be taken to vault 713," Griphook replied confidently.

Harry nodded and lowered his wand. "Sorry about that Griphook, but you can't be too careful these days."

"Indeed Mister Potter," Griphook replied with what Harry thought was a smile. "Now if you would kindly give me your hand, I will apparate us to Gringotts."

Harry held out his hand and felt his insides squirm slightly when he felt Griphook's dry and bony hand. They apparated, but Harry quickly noticed that the goblin's form of apparition wasn't as uncomfortable as the wizard way. They landed in the Gringotts lobby where Griphook quickly let go of Harry's hand and led him towards a large wooden door in the back of the lobby.

Griphook opened the vast door and chuckled when he heard Harry gasp. The viewing room they were standing in was reserved for the more valued customers. It was as large as the Gryffindor common room, had a large polished looking desk and three red leather chairs. There were numerous book shelves and wardrobes scattered throughout the room. Everything in the room looked like an antique and Harry could swear that he had never seen anything so impressive.

"If you would please make yourself comfortable Mister Potter," Griphook said. "Director Ragnok will be here shortly. In the meantime," Griphook waved his bony hand, causing a tray of small sandwiches, a couple goblets and a pitcher of pumpkin juice to appear. "Please help yourself to some refreshments."

Harry nodded numbly and stepped forward to take a bite from the tray. He could only manage one small sandwich and a couple sips of pumpkin juice before his stomach started to get agitated. _Will I ever be able to stomach anything again? _Heasked himself.

Before he could answer himself the doors to the room opened. Harry turned around and saw a goblin older than Griphook walk in with two large files. The older goblin had guarded black eyes, but Harry could see the intelligence in them.

"Good day Mister Potter," Ragnok greeted politely. He placed the two folders on the table and sat down in the slightly elevated chair that sat behind the desk. "I believe that you understand why you're here?"

Harry fidgeted uncomfortably. "I'm here to listen to Sirius' will."

"As well as your parent's will," Ragnok added. "Your parents' will was frozen, in a term, by your magical guardian. He did not wish for it to be read until you were of age, but the death of your godfather brought a few questions up and I realized that your magical guardian had no right to delay this hearing."

"Who is my magical guardian?" Harry asked.

Ragnok looked at Harry seriously and opened one of the folders. "Albus Dumbledore took over the job as your magical guardian after your godfather was arrested. Even though you were in need of a magical guardian, Albus Dumbledore had absolutely no right to claim the position. In fact, if I hadn't reviewed your parent's will before writing to you I never would have realized that Dumbledore has been taking advantage of you for the past 15 years. Goblins normally do not read through the list of magical guardians, we look after the possessions and finances."

Harry stared at Ragnok with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Dumbledore has been taking advantage of me?"

Ragnok nodded grimly. "Your parents left a list of who they wished to be your magical guardian in the event that they were killed. Now, I shall begin with the will of Sirius Orion Black." Ragnok opened the file and put on a pair of small reading glasses. "'In the event of my death I, Sirius Orion Black, do hereby leave 100,000 galleons to my best friend, Remus Lupin. These galleons are to be transferred to Mr. Lupin's Gringotts vault effective immediately upon the reading of this will. To my cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, I leave 50,000 galleons and the encouraging words to never give up." Ragnok cleared his throat and took a small sip of pumpkin juice. "Now finally to my godson Harry Potter, I leave everything else. This includes all the Black family properties, the remaining fortune and all of the artifacts that can be found in the Black family vaults. All dark artifacts have been disposed of, but there are many useful items that I believe may prove useful in the upcoming war. But, most importantly, I leave my title as Lord Black and I hope that you will be a better Lord than I ever could be.'"

Ragnok closed the folder and looked at Harry over his glasses. "Mister Potter," Ragnok began. "The remaining fortune that you inherited sums up to be over 3 million galleons. I am having Griphook put together two separate ledgers for what you inherited from Mr. Black and what you inherited from your parents. The title of Lord Black can normally be claimed by a blood relative, but Mr. Black has already planned for that."

Ragnok jumped out of his chair and walked up to a small wardrobe that stood on the side of the room. He opened the wardrobe and pulled out a small vial and a small, ancient looking dagger. Ragnok walked up to Harry and held up the vial. "This vial contains the blood of your deceased godfather, Sirius Black, if you would permit it, I can perform a simple blood ritual which would make you eligible to become the next Lord Black. This ritual would effectively make you Mr. Black's son."

Harry stared at Ragnok in shock. Losing Sirius as a godfather had been bad enough, but to know that he had lost his father was too much. "I don't know if I can," Harry told Ragnok in a pained voice. "I was the reason that Sirius is dead, he died because he tried to save me. There's no way that I deserve this."

"Mister Potter," Ragnok snapped causing Harry to flinch. "I may not have known Mister Black, but he obviously valued you over all others. Could it be possible that you are insulting his memory by refusing this honor?" Ragnok sighed and placed the vial and dagger on the desk. "By accepting this offer you can preserve his memory," he said in a gentler tone. "Any man who was willing to set up a blood adoption after his death could not place blame on the same person for possibly getting him killed. I have been in this business for a long time, and I have only performed two blood adoption rituals. Would your godfather have held a grudge against you like the one you're holding against yourself?"

Harry looked at the vial containing Sirius' blood and felt a little queasy. "Sirius would have told me that it wasn't my fault," he admitted. "And that my life is too important to waste. I guess I have been wasting my life away in my grief." Harry sighed deeply and looked at Ragnok in the eye. "I'll do it."

Ragnok smiled and picked the dagger and vial off of the desk. "Now this is surprisingly simple Mister Potter. All I need is your palm. I shall make a cut along your palm, empty the contents of the vial into your cut, and perform the ritual. Other than the cut, you shall only feel a burning sensation in your palm, but it only lasts a moment."

With a determined look on his face, Harry held out his right palm. He bit his lip when Ragnok cut open his flesh. Without pausing, Ragnok poured Sirius' blood into the cut and began waving his hand over the cut. Harry gasped when his palm began to burn and he clenched his other fist so hard that he felt his nails dig into his skin. After a minute of pain, the burning sensation began to fade. Harry looked at his palm and stared when it healed right in front of him and left only a faint scar.

Ragnok inspected Harry's hand looking rather pleased. "Your ritual went smoother than most Mister Potter. Most people's hands do not heal for at least a week. You must have some powerful magic if your body accepted the ritual so quickly."

Harry rubbed his hand and nodded absently. "So what happens now?"

Ragnok returned the dagger to the wardrobe and returned to his desk. He opened one of the drawers and pulled out a small box that was practically radiating with magic due to the protective charms on it. "Your Lord Black ring resides within this box. Only the heir can open it." Ragnok put the box on the table and pushed it towards Harry.

With tentative hands, Harry opened the box and gasped in awe at the sudden rush of magic. In the center of the box was a ring with a simple golden band and a ruby with the Black family crest imprinted in it. Harry picked up the ring and found it to be warm. He frowned slightly when he read the Black family motto and he silently vowed to change the motto and crest.

"What will people say when they see the ring?" Harry asked suddenly.

Ragnok chuckled and shook his head. "You would most likely receive mixed reactions. I imagine that a certain Draco Malfoy will not be pleased because he would have inherited the title had you not taken the ritual. If you wish Lord Black, I can give you an enchanted chain to carry your ring on. As long as the ring remains on the chain, it cannot be detected by any magic and it cannot be seen by any other than yourself and those you have given verbal permission to. The ring itself is enchanted to protect you from most jinxes and hexes and its protection will not diminish if you are not wearing it on your finger. As long as it is on your person it will work."

"Wow," Harry said stunned while he looked at the ring in his hand. "Yeah I would like that chain Ragnok."

Ragnok nodded and pulled the chain out of his coat pocket. He handed it to Harry before putting Sirius' will aside. "Consider that a chain a gift to make up for our mistake of not catching Dumbledore's actions sooner. Dumbledore is respected even among the goblins and even I did not question him until now."

Harry shook his head and put the chain through the ring. "I can't believe that Dumbledore lied about something like this either," he admitted. "I appreciate this gift though and I don't bear any grudge towards Gringotts or any of the goblin race."

Ragnok smiled and bowed his head. "Now shall I read your parent's will?" Harry nodded determinedly and Ragnok opened the folder. "'In the event of our death we leave everything to our son, Harry James Potter. This includes the title as Lord Potter, all Potter lands, the Potter vaults and the Lily Potter's personal trunk including its contents.'"

Harry felt his mouth gape when he realized that he was now effectively Lord Potter. "Is it possible to be two lords?"

"It is not common," Ragnok admitted. "But this will give you tremendous power in the Wizengamot. You will have the power to make changes in this world." He pulled out another box and handed it to Harry. "This box contains the Lord Potter ring; the enchantments on this box are the same as the box containing the Lord Black ring. Also, I must tell you that once you open that box and take your rightful title, your marriage contract will be voided. A marriage contract cannot be viable to someone who wears two Lord rings."

"Wait, what marriage contract?" Harry demanded. His hand hovered over the box and he waited anxiously for Ragnok's answer.

Ragnok looked at Harry with wide eyes before he let out a snarl of pure fury. His eyes became cold and he began shouting in goblin. Harry could only assume that he was swearing.

"Are you telling me that your 'magical guardian'," he spat the words "magical guardian". "Did not inform you of this contract that has been in place since you were a child?"

Harry shook his head angrily. "Who was I promised to?"

Ragnok pulled an official looking document out of the file containing Harry's parents' will. "This contract states that you will wed a Ginerva Weasley once you come of age."

Harry felt his breath catch in his throat. Marrying Ginny wasn't something that he had ever planned on doing. He loved her like a sister, but that was about it. "Why would Dumbledore arrange a marriage for me?" he demanded. "I don't believe it!"

Ragnok placed the contract on the desk and pushed it towards Harry. "I am afraid Mister Potter that this contract was made only months after your parents were killed. You have been promised to Miss Weasley since you were barely over a year old and she was only a few months old. As for why Dumbledore would do this, I believe that he wishes to control your position as Lord Potter. The Weasley is extremely loyal to Dumbledore. The family would gain a considerable amount of gold upon your marriage and according to the contract the Weasley family received 1,000 galleons every year from your vault since the marriage and would receive an additional 500,000 galleons after your wedding."

Silence filled the room while Ragnok's words began to sink in. All this time, Harry had believed that the Weasley family was his family. But, it was all a ploy to get his money. Never before had Harry cared about his obvious wealth, and apparently the Weasleys had spent of his gold than he had. Fury began to fill his veins when Harry realized that his friendship with Ron was a lie. At this point it wouldn't surprise Harry if Dumbledore had told Ron to pretend to be Harry's friend.

_Ron and Ginny came to the Department of Mysteries with me_, Harry thought, desperate to prove to himself that their friendship was true. _They laughed with me, played Quidditch with me. Was it really all a lie?_

Even though Harry didn't voice the question out loud, he knew his answer. There was always a reserved attitude whenever he talked to Ron or Ginny. They were always quick to anger and they both could be jealous. Harry couldn't forget how Ron had abandoned him during the beginning of the Tri-wizard tournament.

Without a word, Harry angrily opened the box and took out the Lord Potter ring. As soon as the ring was within his grasp the contract that sat on the desk burst into flames. Ragnok waived his hand and cleared the ashes off of his desk.

Harry glared at where the contract had been seconds before, before inspecting his birthright. The ring was similar to the Black family ring in power, but it had an emerald with the Potter family crest on it. Harry put the chain through the ring and latched it around his neck. He felt the chain warm up for a moment and Harry knew that some magic had taken place.

"No one other than you can undo that chain," Ragnok explained. "It cannot be stolen either. If some foolish human attempts to steal the chain, it will simply reappear around your neck. And by law if someone tries to steal your rings, you have the right to challenge them to a wizard's duel and it would be completely within your rights to kill them if you please."

"Kill them?" Harry gasped.

Ragnok nodded. "Stealing a Lord's ring, let alone two, is a very serious crime. Even if you didn't execute your right, the offender would be sentenced to Azkaban."

Harry nodded, feeling a little better. "So now what? Do I have to sign papers or anything?"

Ragnok laughed and closed the file. "You have much to do I'm afraid. But first, let me be the first goblin to greet you as the new Lord Potter-Black." Ragnok leaned forward and shook hands with Harry. "I assume that you will desire a goblin to keep track of your properties and finances?"

Harry nodded and began rubbing his new rings between his fingers. "I would like Griphook to take care of my personal affairs. He is the only goblin that I know personally and I feel like I can trust him."

"Very well," Ragnok said, a little surprised. "Now before I summon Griphook to give you time to go over your finances, there is one more thing that I must show you."

Ragnok snapped his fingers. The doors immediately opened and two goblins entered carrying a large trunk between the two of them. The trunk was slightly larger than Harry's school trunk and it looked like it was very old. The two goblins set the trunk down in front of Harry, bowed to Harry and Ragnok and left the room.

"This is your mother's personal trunk," Ragnok explained. "She charmed it herself. It has numerous enlarged compartments, a shrinking charm and an apartment. Your mother even stored the Potter family library in the apartment when your parents went into hiding. The only way to open it is to charm it with your blood. Because you share your mother's blood it will accept you immediately. After you charm it once, it will open whenever you place your hand on the latch. It cannot be moved by anyone other than yourself once you activate the charm and no magic will be able to penetrate it or destroy it. If you wish to give others access you will have to mix their blood with yours and spread it on the latch."

Harry stared at the trunk in disbelief. Immediately he bit his thumb, causing a small drop of blood to form, and rubbed it on the latch. The latch immediately glowed white and opened. Excitedly, Harry opened the trunk and gaped when he saw the staircase leading down into the trunk. He decided to explore it later. Instead he began looking at the smaller drawers that were on the front of the trunk. He opened one and felt a huge rush of magic hit him in the face, causing his heart to skip a beat.

Inside of the drawer were four eggs. They were about the size of ostrich eggs, but they were spilling off magic in waves. Ragnok, who was looking over the desk, gasped when he saw the eggs. He had clearly not opened the trunk even after Lily Potter's death.

"Lord Potter-Black don't touch those," Ragnok yelled.

Harry immediately pulled back his hand and looked at Ragnok in alarm. "Are they dangerous?"

Ragnok ran over to the trunk and carefully inspected the four eggs. "I'm sorry Lord Potter-Black, these are not dangerous, but I did not want you to activate the charm on these eggs without you realizing what they are."

"What are they?" Harry asked confused.

Ragnok carefully took each egg and placed each of them on his desk. Once they were all secure, Ragnok climbed back in his chair looking excited. "These Mister Potter are known as familiar eggs. When a wizard cares for one, it will hatch into his familiar. These will hatch into true familiars, they will be able to talk with you, do magic and you will even be able to merge into their body if needed. These eggs are incredibly rare and I never thought that I would be lucky to see one let alone four."

Harry looked at the eggs and felt like he was missing something. "Where do familiar eggs come from?"

"On occasion a mammal will end up giving birth to an egg," Ragnok explained. "This occurs in non magical animals. No one knows how or why, but they hatch into very powerful magical creatures. They can be actual magical creatures or they can be common animals with magical abilities. They hatch based on the human's very nature."

"That's cool," Harry breathed. "But why didn't you want me to touch them?"

Ragnok tore his eyes away from the eggs a little sheepishly. "Again my apologies Lord Potter-Black. Allow me to explain. I was the goblin who wrote your parent's will, and when your mother spoke of her trunk she made sure to tell me that only you and your true friends will be receiving them. Your mother charmed them so that only those who are true friends to you would receive them. When you touch them, the eggs that aren't yours will vanish and appear to their rightful owners. Your mother feared that you would have deceitful friends when you grew up and came up with this to show you who your true friends are."

Harry stared at the eggs and felt tears well up behind his eyes. "So mum was looking out for my future even when she thought she wouldn't be a part of it. She was amazing."

"She was Lord Potter-Black," Ragnok agreed. "Your mother was a friend to the goblins, and as her son, I would like to extend the honor to you as well."

"Of course," Harry said immediately. "I can't get over the stuff that you guys do. Any wizard or witch who thinks you're lower creatures is an idiot because you guys can do something that they could never dream of doing."

Ragnok looked touched and cleared his throat. "I thank you Lord Potter-Black. From now on if you ever have any need for me, do not be hesitant to contact me. You may even call me by my first name."

Harry smiled and held out his hand. "I'll call you Ragnok if you call me Harry," he offered.

Ragnok returned the smile and shook Harry's hand. "Very well Harry. Now, do you want to activate the charm on the eggs? All you need to do is touch them."

"Wait, before I do that, I would like to attach a letter to each of them telling whoever receives them to contact me. I don't want to be guessing about this all summer."

Ragnok nodded in agreement. He handed Harry some writing utensils and attached the brief letters to each egg with a goblin variation of the sticking charm. "Now simply touch each egg and the ones that aren't yours will vanish."

Harry nodded and tentatively touched the first egg. As soon as Harry's egg touched the egg it flashed white and vanished. Harry repeated the process until only one egg was left. Harry touched it and it grew warm under his hand, but didn't move anywhere.

"It recognizes you as its owner," Ragnok explained.

Harry laughed in excitement and took the letter off before cradling the egg in his arms. "Will Dumbledore be able to take my true familiar away?" he asked anxiously.

Ragnok shook his head. "He could try, but your familiar could simply apparate right back to you. No magic can keep a true familiar away from its human. Now before I summon Griphook, I just wanted to explain one more thing about your mother's trunk."

Ragnok walked over to the trunk and motioned to the ancient runes that were on the top. "Your mother also spelled the trunk to proceed through time faster than normal. She told me that once you activate the rune, which can be activated by a small drop of your blood before entering, one day is the equivalent to a month while inside. If you want my opinion it would be optimal for training. But, you might want to get a house elf to bring you food. Your house elves are the only creatures that can apparate within this trunk and will be in sync with the time that passes in the trunk while you are inside."

Harry felt a smile creep onto his face, the biggest one he had worn since Sirius died. "I plan on doing just that Ragnok. By the time this summer is over, I will not be weak anymore. I will be Lord Potter-Black, a wizard who protects every life, be it wizard, witch, goblin or elf. I will be a Lord without prejudice, and I plan on changing the world."

* * *

A/N- I already know who got the eggs and what they will hatch to be. The whole thing about familiar eggs is something that I made up, but I wanted a deeper level connection than what Harry has with Hedwig. I am an author who likes to listen to reader's ideas. So: who do you think got the eggs and what do you think they will be? Remember- the familiar matches the owner's spirit and it can be either a mystical animal or a regular animal. If I think one of you has a better idea for their familiars, I might even change it. –Phoenix


	2. Shopping

A/N- Thank you for the reviews. I can't get over how many people put my story on their Alert or Favorite Story list on the first day. I'm aware that this type of story has been done before, but I'm writing what I would like to read. I do want to improve Harry's character, but he won't change into a responsible adult overnight. Wait and see how he develops. I'm happy to say that a few people guessed right with the familiar eggs, but you'll have to wait and see. And yes, when the contract burned it became void.

* * *

Ragnok stared at Harry in stunned disbelief. The vow that Harry had just given was very powerful and Ragnok couldn't help but wonder if Harry understood exactly what he was promising.

"Those are powerful words," Ragnok said. After a moment of consideration, he walked over to one of the bookshelves and began running a finger along the titles. "If you wish to train for the remainder of the summer, then you might be interested in also learning the ways of the goblins." He pulled a couple of books off of the shelf and walked back to his seat. After placing them on the desk he ran his claw along the spine of each book. The books glowed red for a moment before they opened.

Harry, still cradling the egg, leaned over and looked at the books. He frowned when he realized that he couldn't understand a word written. "What are those?"

Ragnok smiled and motioned for Harry to give him his hand. Using his claw, he pricked Harry's thumb and guided Harry's thumb so that his blood spelled out a rune. "Goblins use blood a lot for our security wards. Try reading the books now."

Harry looked at the books again and smiled when he found that he could read them. One title was _Goblin History and Culture_, and the other title was _Goblin Language and Magic_. The two books looked rather old and Harry could tell that they were very valuable.

"Ragnok are you sure that you want me to read these?" Harry asked worriedly.

Ragnok chuckled and took off his glasses. "Harry, as a friend to the goblins, I definitely want you to read these. In fact, not only do I want you to read them, I want you to keep them. All I ask is that you protect these two books in the Potter Library and that you use your family magic to protect them."

Harry cradled his familiar egg in one arm and picked up _Goblin History and Culture_ with his other. "I give you my word that I will do everything in my power to protect these books that you have entrusted to me."

Ragnok nodded in appreciation and banished the two wills with a wave of his hand. "Now Harry, before I summon Griphook, would you be interested in having a goblin tutor? You could be trained in not only our magic and tongue, but you can also learn something about wielding a goblin made weapon."

"I would be honored to be tutored by a goblin," Harry said with his head bowed respectfully.

"Excellent," Ragnok said with a wide smile. "I shall personally make sure that you are tutored by my finest warrior. We can start your training tomorrow if it is convenient for you. Your Master will apparate to your room at 9 tomorrow morning and then you may lead the way into your trunk. I will make sure that your Master will be equipped with the tools needed for training. He will train you for one week time, but seven months inside of the trunk. I'm afraid that I can only spare him for a week, but after seven months you should be able to handle your own training."

Harry nodded and placed the two books in his trunk. Next he waved his hand over the latch and it locked. Turning to Ragnok he asked, "How do I shrink it?"

"Simple, simply tap your wand on the top of the trunk."

Harry pulled out his wand and tapped it on the top of the trunk. Almost immediately, the trunk glowed white before it shrunk to the size of a small box of matches. He leaned forward and picked the small trunk up before securing it in his pocket. "Thank you for everything Ragnok, now I have one last question. Will the ministry be able to track me down for doing underage magic in the trunk?"

Ragnok shook his head. "By acclaiming the title Lord Potter-Black you are seen as a legal adult. You can do magic anywhere you want and the ministry won't know. But, magic done in the trunk cannot be caught so even underage wizards can train in the apartment if you wish it."

"Bloody brilliant," Harry said with a wide grin. He took Ragnok's offered hand and shook it. "Thank you for again Ragnok. I'm sure that we will be doing a lot of business together."

"I look forward to it Harry," Ragnok said cheerfully. He got out of the chair and started walking towards the door. "I shall send Griphook in to tend to your finances and I shall send my finest warrior to you tomorrow. But, I suggest that you employ a house elf's service before tomorrow. You might also want to take use of a small fraction of your fortune to purchase some necessities such as new clothes and perhaps a second wand. Knockturn Alley has a great place for wands; in fact I prefer them to Ollivander's. But, you didn't hear this from me, those wands are quite illegal."

Harry smiled and nodded. "I'll have everything ready for your warrior by 9 tomorrow Ragnok. I even have a house elf in mind to take care of us. Now, exactly where might a wizard buy an illegal wand in Knockturn Alley?"

Ragnok paused by the door and gave Harry a sly smile. "I do believe a certain goblin would be able to apparate said wizard to the shop. Have a good day Harry; I look forward to talking to you again."

With that the Head Goblin left Harry alone in the great conference room. Harry slouched in his chair with a sigh and began rubbing the egg that he was still holding. "Wow, this has been a lot to take in. I went from being an orphan all alone to being the Lord of two houses and the owner of an incredibly rare familiar egg. Do you think things will only get weirder?"

The egg seemed to grow a little warmer as if in response. Harry secured the egg in his lap and waited for Griphook to show up. He didn't have to wait long, barely a minute after Ragnok left, Griphook came running inside the room carrying two thick ledgers. He stopped running when he reached Harry and bowed low.

"A thousand pardons for keeping you waiting Lord Potter-Black," Griphook panted. "May I thank you for giving me this honor, to manage the accounts of two Ancient families is an honor indeed and I assure you that you have my unwavering attention."

Harry laughed and held out his hand for Griphook to shake. "Ragnok has given me the privilege of being a friend to the goblins, and as a friend I would like it if you would call me Harry."

Griphook smiled and shook the offered hand. "It would be my pleasure friend Harry. Would you like to hear about you accounts?"

They spent the better part of an hour going over every single galleon and property that Harry owned. It turned out that Harry owned properties all over England and even some land in the US. Harry nearly hyperventilated when Griphook informed him of the fact that Harry was a distant descendent to Godric Gryffindor, and thereby the legal owner of a quarter of Hogwarts.

"So the other heirs own the rest of the school?" Harry asked.

Griphook hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Descendents to the founders technically own the castle, but they do not necessarily have rights to the magic and secrets that Hogwarts protects. That is why he-who-must-not-be-named can claim the magic. He may be Salazar Slytherin's descendent, but he is not the Spiritual Heir. He also cannot claim the property without the other three descendant's consent. In truth the Spiritual Heirs have more control over Hogwarts than the legal heirs."

Harry gripped his egg tightly and looked up at Griphook. "This is a little confusing."

"You are a legal heir Lor- I mean Harry," Griphook corrected himself. "But even the goblins are aware of the Legend of Hogwarts."

"I've never heard of that," Harry admitted sheepishly.

Griphook raised his eyebrow in surprise. "The Legend of Hogwarts is a prophecy made by the founders themselves. Have you really never heard of it? I assumed that it was taught in your history of magic class at Hogwarts."

Harry groaned slightly before chuckling lightly. "I'm afraid that history of magic is not one of my better classes."

"From what I hear your…Professor Binns is far from a good professor," Griphook sniggered. "If you'd like, I could send one of the goblin copies of the prophecy with your new Master tomorrow."

"Is the goblin version different?" Harry asked.

"It is the same with the exception of a few more details," Griphook told him. "Wizard prophecies are completely unreliable and more often than not they tend to be false. The only reason that the goblins take this prophecy seriously is because a goblin seer had made a prophecy that said the same thing as the Founder's did."

Harry felt his stomach drop when he remembered the prophecy that had been hanging over his head ever since the end of his fifth year. "Dumbledore told me that there is a prophecy about myself and Voldemort," Harry whispered.

Harry went on to recite the prophecy to Griphook. The goblin listened intently and once Harry was finished he snarled in fury and pounded his hand on the desk.

"Dumbledore that fool!" Griphook snarled. "To feed you a fake prophecy! Director Ragnok personally investigates all potential human seers. Only those with seer blood have the potential to create a prophecy worthy of being kept in the Department of Mysteries. And I am confident to say that your, Sybil Trelawney, does not have any seer blood in her veins."

"It was a fake?" Harry asked in disbelief. "But everything about when Voldemort would attack, marking me as his equal and me having to kill him or die myself?"

"All a pack of lies," Griphook stated furiously. "The goblins are a much more reliable source when it comes to prophecies, and we do not feel the need to put such security measures on them like they do at the ministry."

"Then why did I survive the killing curse?" Harry asked, desperate for answers.

Griphook shook his head regrettably. "I'm afraid that I cannot answer that, but I can tell you that you do have a lot of power. Perhaps you will be able to find the answers on your own one day."

Harry felt the hair on the back of his neck begin to rise and the egg grew even hotter to match its owner's rage. "Why would Dumbledore create a fake prophecy? I don't doubt that he has the power to do it, but why?"

Griphook sighed and buried his head in his hands. "Dumbledore seems to have hidden motives. But, to go through such lengths just to create a fake prophecy. And not forgetting the fact that it was this prophecy that lead to you-know-who to attack you as a baby."

"It's because of Dumbledore that I'm an orphan," Harry mumbled to himself. Tears began stinging underneath his glasses before dropping on the egg in Harry's arms.

Harry looked up at Griphook and they both shared a hard stare filled with anger at the powerful wizard who was manipulating Harry's life like it meant nothing.

"I do not know why he would to this Harry," Griphook said gently. "But, I will use all of the goblin resources to prove that Dumbledore's prophecy is false and to find the answers which you seek."

"Thank you," Harry sighed. "Before I leave there is one more thing that I would like to get. I'll inspect my vaults another day, I have too a lot of things to do, and a lot of things to buy."

* * *

Harry walked down the streets of Diagon Alley with his rings hidden, his trunk in his pocket, his egg sitting in a pouch Griphook had given him and a brand new Gringotts debit card in his hand that was just itching to be used. Before Harry left Gringotts, he had also filed the necessary paperwork for Harry to get a Gringotts debit card. The debit card worked both in the wizarding and muggle world. He had also given Harry the enchanted pouch that Harry now wore over his shoulder that held his egg. The pouch protected the egg and kept it warm. It also concealed the egg from muggles and only Harry could open it up to take the egg out. As an added bonus, Griphook had changed Harry's appearance slightly so that he now had no scar, brown eyes and dirty blond hair.

"Your escort goblin will remove the charm when you are taken home," Griphook had told him.

The goblin escort was waiting at Gringotts for Harry to call him. Harry didn't need an escort while in Diagon Alley, but Harry had assured Griphook that he would call for him when he was ready to be taken to the illegal wand shop. Apparently, as a Lord and friend to the goblins, Harry could summon a goblin at any time merely by speaking the summoning word.

Harry first went to Flourish & Botts bookshop. He had no idea what kind of books that were in his library, so he planned on opening up an account so that he could order books whenever he wished and the money would be taken out of his vault.

"I can't get over how much money I've inherited," Harry whispered to his egg. "The vault that I've been taking money out of all these years was just for my school costs. All my other vaults make the amount in that vault seem pitiful."

The bookstore was reasonably empty. It was still too early for Hogwarts students to purchase their school supplies, and this worked out well for Harry. The fewer amounts of people who might recognize him the better. Harry quickly sought out the manager, who was leaning over an order form behind a desk, and walked right over to him.

"Excuse me sir," Harry said politely.

The manager quickly looked up at Harry and immediately put on the smile of a man who might make a sale. "What can I help you with son? Do you want some summer study material? I've got some excellent books on Charms and Transfiguration that aren't required for Hogwarts, but are very helpful nonetheless.

Harry smiled and shook his head. "I'm actually more interested in opening up an account here. I've recently acquired a lot of books, but I haven't gone through them all yet. I want to create a nice collection of books and I want to be able to order books from you without needing to fill out paperwork for each order."

"Would you like the charges to be taken out of your Gringotts vault?" the manager asked while he pulled out a form to fill out. He quickly began writing the details on the form while Harry gave them to him. "Okay now, the name on the account?"

"Harry Potter."

The manager looked up sharply and stopped writing immediately. He had a scowl on his face and he made a move to erase the form with his wand. "Harry Potter is a valued customer here, and I'm afraid that I cannot fill out an account for Mister Potter unless Mister Potter is here himself."

Harry laughed and waved a hand over his forehead. The glamour charm the goblins had placed on him faded for a moment before resuming its job, but not before the manager saw the lightning bolt scar that turned out to be Harry's trademark.

"Thank you for making sure that a stranger wouldn't take advantage of my vaults," Harry said cheerfully to the stunned manager. "I'm afraid that due to the dangerous times, I've been shopping under a disguise today. Do you need more proof that I'm the real Harry Potter?"

The manager looked skeptical for a brief second before a wide smile appeared on his face. "Not at all Mister Potter. My apologies for being suspicious, but it is our policy."

Harry waved away the manager's apology. "Don't worry about it, now where do I sign?"

The forms were filled and magically filed within five minutes. Next the manager gave Harry an order card. Much like the form Harry had signed to attend Sirius' will reading, all Harry had to do was write the title and author on the card and the bookstore would receive the order. When the book was ready and the money paid, the bookstore sent their own delivery elf to deliver the books.

Harry shook the manager's hand and left the bookstore. He left Diagon Alley and headed towards a muggle clothes shop. Harry had wanted a new wardrobe for a while now, but he had never acted. Now seemed just as good a time as any.

The store had two floors and had everything from boxers to suits. Harry took two steps inside the store when his heart sank. He had no idea what would look good on him or what he would need.

"Excuse me? Sir?"

Harry turned around and saw an attractive woman who appeared to be in her early twenties. Her blond hair went past her shoulders and complimented her sky-blue eyes nicely.

"Y-yes?" Harry managed to choke out.

The woman chuckled and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I couldn't help but notice that you look a little lost. Don't worry that happens to most guys when they come in alone. Do you want some help?"

"Yes please," Harry said desperately. "I need an entire wardrobe, there's no way that I want to wear my cousin's hand me downs anymore. Money isn't an issue. Please help me?"

"Let me get this straight," the woman said with her eyes shining. "You need an entire wardrobe and you have an unlimited budget?"

Harry nodded and smiled. "But I don't want too much stuff. Just the normal amount for a wardrobe. I especially need lots of workout outfits and a few suits."

The woman held out her hand for Harry to shake. "My name is Sarah and you just became my new best friend. I absolutely love dressing up guys and I have great taste. You're in good hands."

Harry laughed and shook the offered hand. "Okay, let's get started. I do have more places to be though, will this take long?"

Sarah only laughed and led Harry to the dressing rooms. She took Harry's measurements and left skipping towards the men's section, laughing about how she had a new doll to dress up.

* * *

After two exhausting hours of trying on clothes, Harry left with so many bags that he could barely hold onto them all. He had never spent so much money on himself before, and it made him feel a little guilty. But, the new wardrobe was needed and Harry promised himself that he would find a way to charm them so they didn't wear out.

Once Harry entered the Leaky Cauldron, he pulled out his trunk and enlarged it in the bathroom. Once it was enlarged, Harry put most of his bags in one of the drawers. In the only bag he left out was Harry's favorite new outfit. He quickly changed out of his baggy clothes and threw them in the trash without a second glance. Once he was finished changing Harry looked in the mirror in satisfaction. He was wearing a pair of nice comfortable jeans along with a tight black t-shirt. He filled it out decently, but he vowed that he would look much better in it by the time school started.

In the bag was also a couple pairs of shoes, and Harry pulled out his new pair of sneakers. They were a dark gray with lightning bolts on them which had made Harry chuckle. He took his shoes off and threw those away too. Once his new shoes were on, he put the bag in his trunk and put his wallet back in his pocket. Sarah had insisted that Harry needed a fancy wallet, and Harry didn't have it in his heart to tell her that he wouldn't need it. The now stylish Harry shrunk his trunk and put it in his pocket before he picked the pouch containing his egg and threw the strap over his shoulder.

Harry opened the door and walked out into the bar. He nodded politely to Tom who nodded in return, and headed towards the entrance to Diagon Alley. He took out his wand and tapped on the bricks to open the entrance. Once the doors were open, Harry quickly turned to an alley that was out of sight.

Harry quickly checked to make sure that nobody was watching him before he said, "Come," in goblin.

A faint 'pop' sounded in the alley and a different goblin bowed low to Harry. "Greetings Lord Potter-Black, friend to the goblins. I am Zedatx, and I will be your goblin escort. Now Lord Potter-Black, Ragnok informed me that you wished to visit the discreet wand shop in Knockturn Alley?"

"Shh," Harry whispered. "Right now my name is Devin Evans. I don't want people recognizing me."

"My apologies Mister Evans," Zedatx whispered back. "Now, shall I take you there?"

Harry nodded and gave Zedatx his hand. The goblin quickly apparated them away. They landed in a dark alley in Knockturn Alley and Harry felt his hair rise up at the dark atmosphere. His egg began to grow hot again and Harry gently rubbed the pouch.

"It's okay," he assured it. "We'll leave as soon as I get my new wand."

Harry led the way into the store, with Zedatx keeping a respectful distance behind. The shop wasn't as warm as Ollivander's and Harry found himself wishing that he had gone to see the old wand maker. There were assorted skulls, both human and not, hanging all over the walls along with numerous dark artifacts. Harry took a hesitant step up towards the desk when a small, ancient looking wizard, with a beard that could rival Dumbledore's, hopped up from behind the desk.

Harry gave a little shout of surprise and instantly went to draw his wand. The old wizard looked at Harry with interest before he started laughing. His laugh sounded more like a cough and Harry found himself becoming more wary of the wizard by the second.

"What can I do for you today?" the shopkeeper croaked.

"I need a wand," Harry said while pocketing the one he was holding. "I'm told that you make wands that aren't traced and are not registered by the ministry. I would also like to purchase a wand holster that cannot be seen and that provides easy access to the wand."

The old wizard laughed and stroked his beard. "I do indeed make wands that the ministry would frown upon. I must warn you though that my wands aren't cheap."

Harry pulled a full money pouch from his pocket and emptied its contents on the desk. There were at least fifty galleons spread out on the desk. The wizard quickly counted the coins and glared at Harry.

"My wands cost 100 galleons," he said darkly.

Harry smirked and pulled out another pouch. "I'll give you the other half plus the money for the holster when I have both in my hand."

The wizard nodded and quickly pocketed the galleons. Without a word to Harry, he walked in the back room and came back a minute later with two large boxes piled on top of each other. Harry stepped forward to take one of the boxes but the wizard scowled at him. The wizard grunted and placed the boxes on the desk. He opened one of the boxes and Harry saw that it was filled with an assortment of different pieces of wood. Harry could identify a holly branch and he recognized a couple others, but he couldn't name them.

"These are the different types of wood that I use to make wands, once you have found a piece of wood that compliments you; you will find your core. Now, close your eyes and hold your hand over the box. Tap into your magic and the wood will choose you."

Harry nodded and did as instructed. He felt his magic spread out to his fingertips. For a few seconds nothing happened, until Harry felt a spark of magic come from the box, making his fingers twitch.

"Now place your hand in the box," the shopkeeper instructed.

He put his hand in the box and Harry felt the spark of magic grow stronger. He slowly moved his hand toward the spark until it was right against his palm. The wood began to grow hotter and hotter. Wincing, Harry closed his fingers around the wood. The second his fingers locked around the wood, it stopped burning him. Harry pulled it out of the box and looked at it with interest.

The shopkeeper smirked when he identified the wood and held out his hand for it. Harry handed the wood to him and he began to inspect it. "This is alder wood. It's magical properties increase courage, adventurism and is very good for charms. Normally this wood sticks to natural born leaders, so I'd imagine that you will be leading a great many a wizard with this wand." He put the alder wood aside and closed the box. He placed the box on the floor and opened the other box.

This box contained the cores. Harry could easily identify phoenix feathers and silently hoped that they wouldn't choose him. He also identified unicorn hair, mermaid scales and what he believed to be some dragon heartstring. They were each separated by dividers and Harry felt a bit skeptical about possibly grabbing a dragon heartstring.

"Um how do I choose the core?" Harry asked tentatively.

The wizard scoffed rolled his eyes. "The core chooses you; all you need to do is hold your hand above the box like you did with the wood. Follow the magic until you can identify the core. Don't worry; you don't have to touch it if you end up getting a dragon heartstring."

Harry chuckled in relief and began holding his hand above the box. This time he immediately felt the magic spark calling out to him. He closed his eyes and followed the spark. His hand stopped where the magic felt strongest and Harry couldn't stop himself from putting his hand in the box and pulling out the core. It felt light and soft in his hand, but also very comforting. He opened his eyes and for a second he thought he had picked a phoenix feather, but then he noticed that this feather was pure golden and it felt more powerful to Harry than his wand from Ollivander did.

"That is a griffin feather," the older wizard gasped. "They are even rarer cores for wands than phoenix feathers. It takes a powerful and loyal spirit to be chosen by one. With the combined magic of both alder wood and a griffin feather you will become a very valuable and just opponent."

The shopkeeper closed the core box and put it on top of the wood box while Harry continued to stare at the griffin feather. "Now, I can make you your wand, it shall not take me long for I have been doing this for a long time. But, I feel that I must make you this offer. Keep it in mind that I almost never offer this, but your core and wood show me that you will not misuse this gift."

He pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked a drawer in his desk. Then he pulled out a much smaller box and placed it on the desk. He turned the jewelry box so it faced Harry and opened it. Inside were about ten different gems. Each one sparkled and radiated with magic.

"A wand can also be equipped with a gem," the shopkeeper told Harry. "They can help protect you and every gem can hold some of your magic. By storing some of your magic in the gem each night you can later tap into it for later. Very useful for the battlefield. Gems differ from wood and cores though, you pick the gem." He gestured towards the gems and stopped at a green one; he picked it up and held it in front of his face. "Emeralds are very good at protecting the wielder from evil. Very useful I'd imagine when facing an unforgivable curse such as Avada Kadavra eh Mister Potter?"

Harry instantly stepped back and drew his wand. "How did you know who I was?" he demanded.

"Do not fear Mister Potter," he assured him. The old man pulled back his sleeve to show Harry that he didn't bear the Dark Mark. "I am no supporter of Lord Voldemort or any of his goons. Now as to how I know who you are, let's just say that I have rather special eyes."

Harry lowered his wand and looked closer at the wizard. The old man's eyes were an icy blue, and Harry felt himself shiver when they gazed into him. "So you can see through disguises? Even though it's goblin magic?"

"I can indeed Mister Potter. Do not fear I hold my client's confidentiality rights very close to my heart. No one will know you purchased a wand from me."

Harry nodded and leaned forward to inspect the emerald. "Why don't you normally offer gems on your wands?"

The shopkeeper scoffed and picked up the emerald. "Because most wizards would not respect the power that the gems add to the wand. Can you imagine the catastrophe that would follow if you-know-who had a gem with his wand? Now, do you want the emerald Mister Potter?"

"Yes, please. Will you use the whole gem?" The gem was about the size of a walnut and Harry didn't know how he felt about the idea of having such a huge jewel on his wand.

"I will only require a small piece," the shopkeeper chuckled. "I shall be about ten minutes Mister Potter."

The shopkeeper put the gems, wood and cores away before coming back to collect the materials. He disappeared in the back room and Harry waited anxiously with Zedatx for the old wizard to finish. True to his word, the wand maker was back within ten minutes carrying Harry's new wand gently in his hands as if he were carrying a newborn child. He handed the wand to Harry and Harry gasped when his hands gripped the end. The sheer power that flower through the wand was so incredible that it put his old wand to shame.

His egg began to warm again in response to the magic and Harry began patting the pouch again. "That's some power huh? I've never felt such power."

He began to inspect the wand thoroughly. A piece of the emerald, about the size of a dime, was attached to the end of the wand. The wand itself was a little under 12'' and was a light brown. It was perfect. He gripped the wand tightly and said, "_Lumos_."

The wand immediately lit up. The light was so strong that it filled the whole shop and Harry had to fight to keep his eyes open. He quickly said, "_Nox_," and the shop became dark again.

"That was bloody brilliant," Harry gasped. He turned to the shopkeeper and shook his hand. "Thank you so much," he said. "This wand is a piece of art. How come you aren't sought out instead of Ollivander for wands?"

"The ministry doesn't want new wizards or witches wielding such powerful wands," the shopkeeper scoffed. "Even if they are better for the new wizard. I've managed to stay under the law by only selling wands to those who the goblins trust. Ragnok is a personal friend of mine, and he recommends my services to clients who he personally deems worthy. In fact, only the goblins can locate my shop."

Harry grinned and looked back to Zedatx who was grinning himself. "I give you my word that I will not reveal your location or business. May I ask your name?"

"My name?" the shopkeeper asked in surprise. "I normally avoid giving out my name, but you may call me Eric."

"Well thank you for your work Eric," Harry said cheerfully.

Eric gave Harry a special dragonhide wand holster for half price. The wand holster attached to Harry's jeans and as soon as the wand was in it, it turned invisible. Eric explained that it couldn't be summoned as long as there was a wand in it, and it couldn't be forcefully taken from Harry. Harry paid the rest of the money for the wand and for the wand holster. Eric and Harry said their respectful goodbyes and Zedatx took Harry back home. The day had been very eventful and expensive and Harry wanted nothing more than to sleep.

* * *

A/N- Next chapter: Contracts. Please Review!


	3. Contracts

A/N- I love how so many people are reading my story and are putting it on their favorite/alert list. But, if you like it enough to add it to your favorite/alert list, why aren't more people reviewing? I like reviews and I take them into consideration when I'm writing. So please review more! Oh and you can all rest assured that Harry's familiar isn't a phoenix or a shake. I'll give ya'll a couple hints cause no one has guessed it: they can be found all over the world, they're mostly solitary, they take on anything to protect their den or young ones (believe me I've seen it!) and they are smaller than a dog. Try to figure it out!

* * *

As soon as Harry was in his room, Zedatx bid him farewell and apparated back to Gringotts. Harry looked over his room and sighed when he realized just how messy it was. He pulled out his holly wand and with a wave; he managed to get rid of all the old clothes that he never planned on wearing again. There was still ink on the wall and books scattered all over the floor, but Harry didn't bother with them. He gently put his egg on his bed and walked over to Hedwig.

"Hi girl," Harry said while he stroked Hedwig's feathers. "I found out that I inherited a lot of money from Sirius and my parents. I also went on a shopping binge and bought a whole new wardrobe. There was this girl named Sarah, she pretty much dressed me up for two hours like I was her doll."

Hedwig hooted and turned cold when she saw the egg on Harry's bed. She turned to Harry and hooted accusingly.

Harry glanced over his shoulder to see what she was glaring at. He laughed when he realized that Hedwig had seen the egg. "Don't worry girl, that's a familiar egg. You know that you're my friend, and I promise that whatever hatches out of that egg will never replace you."

Hedwig shook her head and hooted sorrowfully.

"I don't care that you're not a familiar," Harry objected. "You're my friend, and you've been with me for years. I would never dream of replacing you. My mum left me this egg, and she had three others that were sent to people who are truly my friends. I don't want you to feel like I don't love you."

The snowy owl looked at Harry sadly for a moment before she hooted and nipped at Harry's fingers gently. Harry smiled and continued stroking her.

"I'm going to be training tomorrow," Harry told her. "It'll only be a week or so to you, but it will be much longer to me." Harry paused for a minute when he considered who he could send his beloved owl to. The Weasleys were out of the question. He considered Hermione, but he didn't know of her loyalty to him yet. "I don't know where to send you girl," Harry sighed. "I don't know if I can trust anyone to take care of you."

Harry checked clock on his nightstand and saw that it was past 2 in the afternoon and there was still a lot to do. He took the trunk out of his pocket and enlarged it at the foot of his bed. Hedwig eyed the trunk with interest and Harry explained briefly that it was his mother's and what it could do.

He waved his hand over the latch to unlock the trunk and took out the two goblin texts. Next he opened the top and climbed in. The stairs went down about a floor, but the trunk was pitch black and Harry could barely see where he was going. He pulled out his alder wand and muttered "_Lumos_." As soon as he was at the bottom of the stairs torches lit up all over and lit up the trunk. Harry muttered "_Nox_," and pocketed his wand in the holster while he gaped at his surroundings.

The foyer where he was standing was bigger than the Gryffindor common room. There was an odd collection of paintings on the walls, but they all seemed to be sleeping and weren't moving. Harry walked forward and nearly had another heart attack when he entered the next room. He was standing in a room that could rival the Great hall in size. There were couches, tables and chairs scattered along the edges of the room, but it was obvious to Harry that this space was used to train. There were a few scorch marks on the walls that Harry assumed had come from an uncontrolled spell.

"I guess this is where I'll be training," Harry muttered to himself.

He continued to search through the trunk and found four different rooms. The rooms were the size of Harry's dorm back at Hogwarts with king-sized beds, but each one had its own private bathroom. Harry also found a rather large kitchen and a formal looking dining room. He also found a small swimming pool in the corner of the apartment, and he was glad that Sarah had convinced him to buy swim suits. Shortly after that Harry managed to find the library.

The library was absolutely huge. The ceiling was at least two stories high. There were bookshelves everywhere and they went as high as the ceiling. In the center of the library was a small circle surrounded by the bookshelves. There was an old desk and comfortable chairs in the small circle and Harry decided that this was meant to be a work station.

"This is amazing," Harry mused while clutching the goblin books tighter. "But how am I supposed to navigate through this library and pick out books?"

Harry quickly got his answer. As soon as he said his question out loud, an old book and podium materialized next to the desk. Harry walked up to it and ran his fingers along the cover. There wasn't a title on the book, but it gave off a very old magic. Cautiously, Harry opened the book and gasped when he saw that it was a magical directory. There were all sorts of titles that filled every page.

"This is so cool," Harry gasped. "I wonder what kind of books on defense they've got."

Right away the book glowed and the pages wiped clean. Harry panicked for a moment that he broke it, but then a long list of titles appeared on the page. There were titles like _Dark Curses and How to Defend Against Them_, _Defense Theory and Its Practical Uses_ and _Ancient Duels of the World_. Harry gently touched one of the titles on the page and the title highlighted. Soon there was a 'whoosh' and Harry looked up in time to see a book weaving through the library. Harry held out his hand and grabbed the book when it stopped in front of him. Harry noticed that it was the same title that he had touched in the directory.

"Okay," Harry said, beginning to understand how the directory worked. He touched the title again and the book jolted right out of his hands back towards its spot. "Books on goblins," he told the directory when the book was out of sight.

Again the book glowed and the titles were wiped clean. Harry frowned when he saw that there were only a few titles. He told himself that he would ask Ragnok for recommendations on good books about goblins.

"How do I add books to the directory?" Harry mumbled to himself.

Instantly a silver quill appeared next to the book. Harry picked up the quill and began to write the titles in the book, the quill apparently didn't need ink. Once he was finished, the goblin books in his hands began flying away as if they had been summoned. Harry looked back down at the directory and saw that the two titles that he had written down were now magically added to the book.

"Well that takes care of that," Harry said cheerfully.

Harry made his way back to the training room and took a deep breath. He was going to be spending a lot of time in here, and he needed some help.

"Dobby, Winky," Harry called.

There were two loud 'pops' and Dobby and Winky appeared in the trunk. Dobby was jumping up and down in excitement while Winky looked rather nervous. Harry immediately noticed that Winky looked much thinner than Dobby and her eyes were still red from crying.

_I guess she hasn't gotten over Barty Crouch's death yet_, Harry thought sympathetically.

"The great Harry Potter has called Dobby and Winky?" Dobby asked excitedly. He looked to Winky expectantly and his ears drooped when he realized that she wasn't excited to be there.

Harry smiled and knelt down so he was eye level with the two elves. "I called you here Dobby because I wanted to ask you something. Have you and Winky made an elf contract to work for Dumbledore?"

Dobby shook his head immediately while Winky eyed Harry suspiciously. "Dobby and Winky are still free elves," Dobby said proudly. Winky whimpered at the statement and Dobby flinched. "Dobby is sorry Winky," he said turning to Winky. "Dobby knows that Winky does not like to hear that."

Winky smiled weakly at Dobby. "Winky is okay," she said quietly. "Masters Crouch is gone and Winky must get used to hearing that she is a free elf."

"If you want Winky," Harry started. "I called you two here to ask if you would like to consider becoming my house elves."

Dobby immediately burst into tears. "Dobby would be honored to work for Harry Potter! Harry Potter wants Dobby for his house elf!"

Harry smiled and put his hand on Dobby's shoulder. "Of course I want you to be my house elf." He turned to Winky and said gently, "I understand if you feel like you can't serve another wizard. But, I can promise you that I will treat you well and I won't take you for granted."

Winky looked at Harry with a stunned expression. "Why does Harry Potter want Winky? Winky is a bad elf, she didn't listen to Master's orders and was given clothes. Harry Potter shouldn't want a bad elf!"

She continued to rant about how she was a bad elf. Tears began pouring out of her eyes and she began to tremble. The sight broke Harry's heart. With a warm smile, Harry pulled Winky into a gentle embrace and patted her on the back while she finished crying.

"You aren't a bad elf," Harry told her. "The fact that you are still so dedicated to your old master even after this long shows me that you are a great elf. I would personally love to have that level of dedication in my elf."

Winky looked Harry in the eye and pulled away looking horrified that she had just cried on Harry Potter. "Winky is so sorry! Winky got Harry Potter's clothes all wet! See, Winky is a bad elf!"

"Winky," Harry said a little firmer. "If I thought you were a bad elf I wouldn't have called you. I don't mind that you cried on me, in fact I hope that you would come to me if you had a problem or if you needed something."

"Harry Potter really wants Winky? Winky can hold her head high again, knowing she is serving a great wizard?"

Harry nodded. "Will you work for me?"

Winky nodded enthusiastically and started crying again. Dobby stopped crying and was beaming. "Dobby and Winky will be great elves to Harry Potter! Does Harry Potter want to form the contract now?"

"That would be great Dobby. But, I don't know how to form a contract."

"Harry Potter must take out his wand and claim Dobby and Winky." Dobby instructed.

Harry nodded and pulled out his alder wand. He held it in front of his face and said, "I, Harry Potter, Lord of the Ancient and Noble Houses of both Potter and Black, do hereby claim Dobby and Winky to become my house elves."

There was a light green flash that covered Dobby and Winky, but it was quickly gone. Once the light faded Dobby burst into tears and Winky stared at Harry in disbelief.

"Master Harry Potter is Lord Potter-Black?" she gasped. "Master could get any house elf and he still wanted Winky?"

Harry grinned sheepishly and put his wand away. "Sorry, I forgot to mention that. Do you still want to be my elf?"

"Of course!" Winky cried. "Winky is just surprised! To serve a Lord is a great honor for an elf!"

"I'm glad that you're happy," Harry said truthfully. "Would you guys like a tour of the trunk?"

"Trunk?" Dobby asked curiously.

"Oh we're in a trunk right now," Harry said bluntly. "When I inherited my titles, I also inherited my mum's old trunk. This apartment is in that trunk and has everything including a library and pool. I'll give you a tour in a bit, but I want to explain what's happening."

Harry spent some time explaining what had happened at Gringotts, his new wand and his shopping binge. The two elves' eyes widened when Harry explained that he was going to be training in the trunk and that there was a time compression rune on it that Harry planned on activating the next day.

"I'm going to need one of you to take care of the trunk and patch it up. And the other one I'm going to need to take care of the food and feeding all of us."

"Winky is a very good cook," Dobby said with a bright smile. "Dobby can clean the apartment while Winky cooks for Lord Potter-Black and his goblin master."

"And yourselves as well," Harry said immediately. "I want you guys to eat with us at all meals. You aren't slaves here."

Dobby burst into tears immediately. "Lord Potter-Black treats lowly Dobby and Winky like equals! Dobby always knew that Lord Potter-Black was a great wizard, but still can't believe how great!"

After Dobby calmed down, they finished going over the details about what they needed to do. Harry gave Winky his watch so that she would be able to tell what time it was outside of the trunk when she went shopping. She nearly cried when Harry gave her some galleons and told her to go buy materials to make new uniforms. After much assurance that Harry wasn't giving them clothes, Harry gave the elves the tour and explained that they could apparate in and out of the trunk. Winky immediately began inspecting her new kitchen while Dobby told Harry that he would begin to work on the apartment while Harry took care of things outside of the trunk.

Harry climbed out of the trunk and closed the lid and locked it. He sighed and collapsed on his bed. He was about to close his eyes when he felt something missing. Alarmed, he searched all over his bed and cried out when he noticed that his egg was gone.

"Where is it?" he asked frantically. Turning to Hedwig he asked, "Hedwig! Where's my egg? The Dursleys couldn't have seen it while it's in the pouch!"

Hedwig looked at Harry and hooted scornfully. She turned her head pointedly underneath the bed. Harry looked under his bed and sighed in relief when he saw that the egg was safe. He pulled it out and dusted the pouch off.

"How did you roll off?" he asked exasperatedly. "You're still an egg!"

The egg warmed again before moving slightly. Harry flinched in surprise when the egg moved and he thought for a moment that it was going to hatch. He let out a breath in relief when the egg stopped shaking and cooled down. He put the strap over his shoulder and walked out of his room.

Judging by the sounds of slobbering in the kitchen, Harry assumed that the Dursleys were home and it was time for dinner. Harry walked downstairs and into the kitchen. His brilliant detective skills were spot on, sitting at the table were the two land-bound whales, and his aunt was scrambling to make sure that there was plenty of food on the table.

"Hello," Harry said politely. "How was London?"

Vernon looked up from his over-flowing plate and glared at Harry. "What's it to you boy?" he demanded. "We didn't buy you anything."

"I didn't ask if you did," Harry said through gritted teeth. "I was just asking how your day was."

"It was fine," Vernon grumbled while he began inhaling his food again.

Petunia, who had been eyeing Harry and looked confused at his polite tone, motioned with her hand for Harry to take a seat. "You might as well eat," she said indifferently.

Harry nodded in appreciation and sat next to Dudley, who was scooting his chair as far away as he could.

"You weren't here when we got back," Vernon said accusingly. "Where does a freak like you go?"

"I went to my bank to get my inheritance," Harry said simply. He smiled at Vernon's furious expression and Dudley's envious one.

"Well where did you get those clothes?" Vernon snapped. "We damn sure didn't get those for you."

Harry shrugged and helped himself to a piece of fried chicken before Dudley inhaled it. "I bought a new wardrobe with the money I got. I also got a trunk from my mum."

"How much money did you inherit?" Vernon asked greedily.

"I inherited wizarding currency," Harry said coldly. "It's of no use to you." Harry didn't feel like mentioning that wizard currency could be exchanged for British pounds. "But, in the wizarding world I'd say that I'm one of the wealthiest in England.

Vernon gaped at the nephew he hated in disbelief and anger. "How come a freak like you inherits money while good people like me are working hard to put food on the table?"

_You put plenty of food on the table,_ Harry thought. _The amount of food you and Dudley go through in one day could feed a normal family for a week._

"I wanted to tell you that you won't see me for the next week," Harry said mildly. "I'm not leaving the house, but you won't see me."

"Where are you going freak?" Vernon sneered. "None of your kind will take you yet?"

"I'm going to be training," Harry said coolly. "All you need to know is that you won't hear me see me and you won't need to feed me. I'll be happy and you'll be happy. But you cannot go in my room during this week."

"It's my bloody house!" Vernon roared. "Who do you think you are, banning me from my own house?"

Harry took another bite of chicken and shrugged. "I just thought that you wouldn't want to be hexed. If you enter my room you might get hit by a wayward spell."

Vernon grew pale, Petunia nearly dropped the plate of food she was carrying and Dudley immediately grabbed his bottom. "You cannot do magic outside of school," Vernon sputtered. "You'll be expelled again."

"I can do magic outside of school now," Harry said simply. He pulled his holly wand out and said, "I can show you if you'd like."

"Put that ruddy thing away!" Vernon shouted fearfully. He began growing purple and kept a wary eye on Harry's wand. "Fine," he snapped. "We won't enter your room."

"Thank you," Harry said pleasantly while he pocketed his wand. "I'll be gone from 9 in the morning till next week."

Vernon grunted something and continued to angrily shovel food in his mouth. They finished the meal in relative silence, but Harry caught each fearful glance that his family shot his way. He quickly finished his meal and left the table with a polite 'thank you for dinner' to Petunia. He made his way back up to his room and performed a locking charm on his door.

"It feels so good to be able to do magic," he told Hedwig who began to hoot and pointed to the window with her wing.

Frowning, Harry walked over to the window and saw that a small owl was struggling against the wind to fly to Harry's window. Harry instantly recognized the owl as Ron's hyperactive pet, Pidwigeon. He saw that the owl was clutching a letter and Harry felt his heart warm up with hope.

"Ron must be a true friend," he said excitedly to Hedwig. "He must have received one of the eggs and he responded to the letter attached!"

Harry stretched his arm out of his window and caught the little owl before it got blown away. The small owl hooted cheerfully and flew right over to an irritated Hedwig. Harry quickly opened the letter and frowned when he realized that it wasn't Ron's handwriting.

_Dear Harry,_

_How are you? You haven't written to me since the summer began and I've been worrying about you. In case you are wondering about Pig delivering the letter, I was visiting Ron for the week and I wanted to send you a letter, I'm returning home tonight. I'm staying home for the summer, but my parents want to spend some time with me, so I might not join you at the Burrow or wherever until late August. I hope that you aren't still blaming yourself for what happened at the ministry, it wasn't your fault. I've already gotten my homework done and I've become real __**familiar**__ with the ways of the Ancient Houses and their power in the Wizengamot. Their magic is fascinating, and I'm just sorry that I couldn't ask Sirius more about it. Again, it's not your fault. I hope that you'll write to me soon._

_Take care. Love,_

_Hermione J. Granger_

Harry was so disappointed at the fact that Ron hadn't sent the letter that he almost missed the fact that one letter in Hermione's letter stood out from the rest.

"'I've become real familiar'…she got an egg!" he exclaimed to Hedwig. "She got an egg and she knows what it is and that she can't tell the Weasleys about it! She also knows that I'm the new Lord Black. Damn, Hermione is so brilliant."

Hedwig hooted in agreement and continued to glare at Pidwigeon. Harry chuckled and watched while the little owl once again took off out of the window and was almost immediately blown away.

"Hermione is a true friend," Harry said to himself. He felt a little guilty for doubting her, but he couldn't stop smiling. Knowing that she wasn't using him or pretending to like him felt good. "Now I know where I can send you," he told Hedwig cheerfully.

Harry quickly grabbed a spare piece of parchment and a quill and ink. He wrote out a letter and he looked back to read it through.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I'm doing as well as can be expected. Are you okay? You were hurt pretty bad and you were still hurting when we got back home. I'm so sorry that I didn't listen to you, but I promise that I'll respect you and your advice from now on. I'm glad that you're becoming so familiar with the politics of the Ancient Houses; I bet that Professor Binns will love talking to you about the topic when school starts. I'm personally trying to become more __**familiar**__ with the ways of the goblins. I've been reading about them in our History of Magic text. _

_Now I'm gonna ask you a favor. The Dursleys are having company for the next week and they've told me that I can't have Hedwig in the house. Would you take care of her for me for the next week? I'd really appreciate it. Hopefully I'll be able to talk to you after the Dursley's company leaves. Don't worry about me, I'm studying hard and getting all of my homework done._

_I'll talk to you next week. Thank you for being my friend,_

_Harry_

He smiled when he couldn't pick up anything obvious in case it got intercepted and rolled up the parchment. He tied it to Hedwig's leg along with a package of owl treats.

"You're gonna stay at Hermione's for a while okay?" he asked the owl. "Please be on your best behavior."

Hedwig rolled her eyes to Harry's surprise and took off. Harry watched his owl fly away and sighed. He walked over to his trunk and took out all of his clothes. Next he opened the trunk and walked back in. There were still a lot of preparations for the next day when Harry began his lessons with Ragnok's finest warrior.

* * *

A/N- Who honestly didn't expect Hermione to get an egg? This is a HarryxHermione fic after all! This chapter is a little shorter than the other two, but oh well! Review! –Phoenix


	4. Training

A/N- Harry's familiar isn't a badger. Thanks for the reviews, but I've become a bit greedy and would like more! Please review and let me know what you think of my story!

* * *

Harry was out cold by the time his head hit the pillow that night. Between helping Dobby and Winky set up their rooms, (the two elves had insisted on sharing quarters and had magically enlarged a closet), moving most of his stuff from his room at the Dursley's to his room in the trunk and worrying about what else Dumbledore had manipulated, Harry was exhausted.

There were two things that worried Harry a lot about being gone for a week to train in his trunk. The first thing was that he might miss the letters from the other two owners of the familiar eggs. And the second thing was that Dumbledore would notice that he would was gone.

"Dobby can pop into Master Harry's room to check for letters many times a day," Dobby had told him. "And Dobby will also keep an eye out for wizards spying on Master Harry's bedroom."

Dobby's words had comforted Harry a little, but he couldn't get rid of the feeling that something was going to happen, and soon.

Harry's alarm began to buzz at 7:30. He was on his feet immediately and ran to the bathroom to shower and brush his teeth. Once he was done getting freshened up and dressed, he threw his toiletries and his other last minute items in his book bag and left it by the trunk along with his egg. He checked the window to see if he had gotten any letters during the night, but there was no sign of any letters or owls.

Frowning slightly, Harry walked to the kitchen and began making breakfast. He decided that since he was awake and ready, he might as well cook breakfast for the Dursleys. The bacon was just about finished when Petunia walked into the kitchen and glanced at the table full of food.

"I thought you were leaving today," she sniffed. "Did the freaks decide to cancel on you?"

Harry brushed off her comment and smiled politely. "I'll be gone by 9. I was making myself breakfast and thought that I might as well make enough for you guys." He looked at the clock on the wall and smiled when he saw that it read 8:40.

Petunia followed his glance towards the clock and sneered. "You better eat fast; I don't want you to miss your freak friends. Where are they picking you up anyway?"

"They're picking me up in my room," he said simply. He took his time eating and left the table by the time that Vernon and Dudley entered the kitchen, woken up by the smell of food. "Have a nice week," Harry said pleasantly.

He walked up to his room and checked the clock. It was 8:50, and Harry didn't know if goblins tended to be early. He paced back and forth in his room, anxiously waiting for the clock to reach 9. He locked his door, and performed a locking charm with his alder wand just to be safe.

_There's no way that the Dursleys can get in here_, Harry thought smugly.

While Harry was admiring the alder wand's locking charm, the clock on his nightstand flicked to 9:00. Harry heard a soft 'pop' from behind him, but before he could even turn to greet his new master, he felt a cold, sharp point digging into his neck.

"Never forget your back," a deep scratchy voice said from behind Harry.

The point went away and Harry breathed in relief. He turned around and saw a goblin sheathing a sword and glaring at Harry. The goblin came up to Harry's waist and had a very distrustful look in his eyes. There were scars covering the goblin's body and the goblin was dressed in just a tunic that went to his knees and a simple pair of breeches. Even though the goblin was dressed simply, he looked very much like a warrior.

The goblin scoffed and hoisted his pack over his shoulder. "I am Zux Greatkiller. I shall be your master for the next seven months. But I warn you now, just because Ragnok found you worthy does not mean that I have as well. You will only earn my respect by working hard."

Harry nodded and bowed respectfully. "Yes Master Greatkiller. I will work very hard and I hope to be worthy of your respect by the time our time is up."

Zux nodded approvingly and glanced around the room. "I hardly hope that this is where we will be training."

"Not at all Master. We will be training in here," Harry walked over to the trunk and opened the lid. "Inside I have two house elves that are waiting for our arrival. Should I activate the time compression runes now Master?"

"Yes," Zux said. He agilely leapt into the trunk and began walking down the stairs while Harry activated the rune and grabbed his bag and egg.

Harry caught up with Zux in the training area. The goblin was inspecting the space and was muttering to himself occasionally. Harry watched the goblin until Dobby and Winky came running in and bowed low.

"Greetings Master Harry," they both greeted. Dobby turned to the goblin and gave a smaller bow of respect. "And greetings to you as well goblin warrior," he said. "My name is Dobby and Dobby is hoping that goblin warrior will not hesitate to request Dobby's assistance."

Winky bowed to Zux as well. "My name is Winky, and Winky is in charge of the kitchen. Winky is not terribly familiar with what goblins like to eat, so Winky hopes that goblin warrior will inform Winky of what he likes."

Zux looked at the two elves with interest. It was rare for a goblin to be treated respectfully by house elves. "Thank you for your hospitality. My name is Zux Greatkiller, and if I need anything I will ask."

Harry smiled at the exchange. Just by watching the exchange between two races that normally didn't get along well gave him hope that the bridges between races weren't completely destroyed yet. "Would you like me to show you your room Master?" Harry asked respectfully.

"Yes, I shall deposit my belongings and then we shall go over your training schedule," Zux said coolly.

Harry showed Zux where he would be staying while Dobby ran to the training area to do some last minute cleaning and Winky ran to the kitchen to make some human and goblin friendly snacks.

Zux's eyes widened when he saw the room he would be staying in. Every piece of furniture had been magiced so that it was the perfect height for a goblin. Even though Zux was Ragnok's finest warrior, he had never before had such great living conditions.

"I had Dobby charm everything in your room and bathroom so that it would be a comfortable height for you," Harry explained when he saw Zux's expression.

"These quarters will do fine," Zux said curtly. "Now, you shall change into your training clothing while I unpack. I expect to see you in the training room in five minutes."

Harry bowed and hurried to get changed. He ran into his room, secured his egg on his bed, and threw on a pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. He ran back to the training room and waited anxiously for Zux to show up. So far, Harry got the impression that the goblin really didn't want to be there, and that Zux was very serious when it came to his skills.

The sound of a sword being pulled from its sheath was all the warning that Harry had. Harry turned around just in time to dodge a swipe from Zux. The goblin was coolly watching Harry and continued to strike out.

Each strike was powerful and nearly knocked Harry back. He used his seeker reflexes and managed to dodge most of the blows, but a couple blows lightly scratched him. Zux kept his face expressionless while he continued to go through different sword techniques. Harry began panting after five minutes of evading the goblin and cursed when Zux suddenly leapt at him and used his weight to push Harry to the ground. Harry grunted when his back hit the floor and felt his breathing labor even more when Zux remained standing on his chest. Zux had his sword pointed at Harry's throat and poked it intentionally so that it drew a thin line of blood.

"Never forget your back," the goblin repeated while he wiped Harry's blood off of his sword before sheathing it. He jumped off of Harry's chest and sat cross-legged in front of Harry. "You, like many wizards, like the physical endurance to continue fighting for long periods of time. We will have to fix this."

Harry nodded and sat up. He winced when his cuts began to sting and he made a move to touch them when Zux growled.

"A warrior wears his scars proudly," he said. "Unless you have broken a bone or have seriously injured yourself, you will not heal your wounds. I haven't given you any serious wounds. That scar on your forehead is living proof that you have done what no being has before by surviving the killing curse. And yet I can tell that you try to hide it and are ashamed of it. If you are to be my student, then you must be willing to wear your scars with pride for they mark your accomplishments."

"Yes Master," Harry mumbled.

Zux glared at Harry until Winky came running in with a tray of food. She gave a little start when she saw Harry bleeding, but Harry assured her that he was fine and she left the food and returned to her kitchen. Zux took a piece of barely cooked meat from the tray and shoved it in his mouth.

"Before I go into further details of what you will be doing, Ragnok instructed me to give you this." He dug his hand into his tunic and pulled out an old piece of parchment and handed it to Harry. "This is the goblin copy of the Legend of Hogwarts. You may read it now."

Harry anxiously opened the parchment and carefully read the prophecy.

_**When war has torn across the land**_

_**And those who are pure turn against those who are mixed**_

_**Four shall rise and defeat the two foes**_

_**One foe of Darkness and one foe of Light**_

_**The founder's magic shall return**_

_**And through them shall the bridges restore**_

_**Through a bond so true shall they unite**_

_**To unlock the secrets of Hogwarts**_

_**Gryffindor shall lead**_

_**Ravenclaw shall plan**_

_**Hufflepuff shall protect**_

_**Slytherin shall redeem**_

_**Only together can both foes be conquered**_

_**And only together shall they survive**_

Harry read through the prophecy twice and frowned. "I think I have read this before, but Ragnok told me that the goblin version was slightly different. What's different Master?"

Zux grinned. "There is more to the prophecy. But that part I shall keep to myself until you accomplish your training, that's assuming that you do manage to survive training."

Harry noticed then that the parchment was torn at the bottom. "Very well Master."

"We will be starting off with your physical training," Zux told him. "There is no point in training you to wield a blade if you are too tired after a couple of swings. We shall do physical training at 7am sharp. You will need a full breakfast before each day, but don't be surprised if you end up losing your breakfast for the first week. We will do physical training until 12, after which we shall have lunch until 1 before doing some light weapon training. We shall train with weapons only until 4pm, and in the beginning we shall mainly be going over what types of weapons there are and their practicalities. I will start some heavy weapons training with you once your endurance has improved and after we find a goblin weapon that suits you best. After weapon training, I shall teach you the goblin language and some simple goblin magic. You will be unable to do much goblin magic, but I can teach you to apparate the goblin way, it is easier and quieter and you do not require a license. We shall train your mind and magic until 6, then we shall have dinner and you will have free time. But, I suggest that you use your free time to read the books that Ragnok gave you. Weekends you shall have off, but I still expect you to do some training on your own."

"I'll work very hard," Harry said with a respectful bow.

Zux nodded and took the parchment back from Harry and put it back in his tunic. "We're starting late today, but we shall stick to the training schedule." He waved his hand and a large number of weights appeared. There were also what looked like old fashioned punching bags and bows scattered about. "We'll start off light with laps." He waved his hand again and the training area expanded, now it was the size of a running track. "Start running, four laps in this room is the equivalent of a mile, which will be fine for today."

Harry nodded and stood up. He stretched his legs quickly before running towards the edge and began doing laps. Harry thought that his experience as a seeker on the Quidditch team kept him pretty fit, but he quickly realized that just riding a broomstick, evading bludgers and looking for the snitch wasn't exactly a hardcore workout. He barely finished the second lap before he started to pant very hard.

_It's actually kinda funny,_ he thought to himself. _I've fought a basilisk, took part in the tri-wizard tournament and survived three Voldemort attacks, all while I lack the physical endurance to run a mile without getting exhausted._

By the time the mile was up, Harry was bent over his knees gasping for breath. His t-shirt was covered in sweat and his face was so red that it could rival Ron's hair.

Zux watched Harry with an amused expression. "You did better than I thought you would," he admitted. "I was expecting you to collapse halfway through." He walked over to Harry. "Endurance and strength will come in time, but only if you work at it. Now, on your hands and knees, we'll be doing some pushups and sit-ups. Give me twenty pushups."

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Zux silenced him with a glare. "Yes Master," he mumbled and began doing some traditional pushups.

Harry made it up to fifteen pushups without too much difficulty, but Zux then decided to make the last five more difficult and climbed on Harry's back. The goblin didn't weigh a terrible amount, but the extra weight was enough to make Harry tremble with the effort. After Harry finished the pushups Zux immediately moved him onto sit-ups.

Physical training was beyond brutal, and Harry had no idea how he was going to last seven months. Zux managed to fit numerous grueling exercises in the three hours that they had to work out. He made Harry do lots of weight training, more running and he even began working Harry on speed. Zux was true to his word; Harry had to run to the bathroom twice during his workout to empty out his stomach. Every time that Harry ran to the common bathroom, Winky, who had been watching, would look at Zux in dislike. The goblin assured her that Harry would survive longer thanks to this, and Winky returned to her kitchen.

Finally, the clock in the training area chimed 12, and Harry was allowed to put down the weights that he had been using. His whole body was shaking and he looked paler than he usually did. Harry immediately collapsed into one of the chairs against the wall. Winky was by his side in a heartbeat carrying a large pitcher of iced water and a few goblets.

"Can Winky get Master Harry anything else?" she asked anxiously while she set the water on the table that sat next to the chair.

Harry shook his head and poured himself a glass of water. "I'm okay Winky, is lunch almost ready?"

Winky nodded. "Winky has finished making lunch. Would Master Harry like lunch to be served in the dining room?"

"I don't think I could make it there," Harry joked weakly. "Here would be great Winky."

Winky immediately ran to the kitchen to bring out the lunch. Zux walked over to the chairs and sat down to help himself to a goblet of water.

"You did better than I thought you would," he admitted. "You will grow stronger in time, but the first week tends to be the hardest."

Harry smiled tiredly. "I guess I'm a typical out of shape wizard huh?

Zux shook his head and took a sip of water. "You are far from typical Lord Potter-Black. Ragnok told me of your promise to be a kind Lord, and at first I didn't believe him. But, even after knowing you for a couple hours I can tell that you do not see yourself any more important than myself or your two house elves."

Winky came running in the room with a large tray of food before Harry could respond. She placed the tray on the table and bowed deeply. "Can Winky get anything else for Master Harry or Zux Greatkiller?"

"This is perfect, thank you Winky," Harry said and Zux nodded in appreciation. "Where is Dobby?"

"Dobby is working on the pool area Master Harry. Shall Winky fetch him?"

Harry grabbed one of the sandwiches. "I was wondering if you and Dobby would like to join us."

Winky's eyes widened and they began to shine with unshed tears. "Master Harry truly is as kind as Dobby told Winky. But, Winky is afraid she must decline Master Harry's kind invitation. Winky still has much work to do to get the kitchen fully operable and Dobby is very dedicated to finishing the pool. Winky and Dobby would be honored to join Master Harry for dinner later though if it pleases Master Harry."

"That would be great," Harry said. "Thank you for lunch Winky, it looks great."

Winky smiled and bowed before heading back to her kitchen.

Zux watched the whole interaction with a smile and helped himself to some more meat. "When you finish eating, you may take the rest of the time off. Remember though, we start weapons training at 1 so I don't recommend taking a quick nap."

"Yes Master." They finished lunch in half an hour and Harry went to his bedroom. He looked in the mirror and groaned when he saw how gross he looked. His clothes were still dark with sweat, his hair was sticking to his face and his glasses were sliding off.

"I guess I should change," he said to himself.

He quickly took off his sweaty clothes and left them in a bin by the door where Winky had told him to leave his dirty clothes. Once he was changed he checked the clock and sighed when he realized that he only had a half an hour until he started training again. His muscles were completely sore and he could barely keep his eyes open. He climbed on his bed and picked up his egg and took it out of its pouch.

As soon as the egg was in his hands it grew incredibly hot. Harry yelped and put the egg back on his bed, half expecting his bed to catch fire. The egg flashed red a couple times before it calmed down. Tentatively, Harry reached forward and touched the egg. It was still warm, but nowhere near as hot as it had been.

"What the heck was that?" Harry asked out loud.

"That would be your familiar expressing its anger with you."

Harry turned around and saw Zux leaning against the doorway with an amused expression on his scarred face.

"What do you mean?"

Zux laughed. "Your egg has talked to you before hasn't it?"

Harry looked at his egg before turning back to Zux. "You mean when it warms up?"

"Well eggs can't exactly talk can they? Your familiar may not have hatched yet, but it's still talking with you."

"So why did it burn me?"

Zux rolled his eyes in amusement. "How else is it supposed to tell you its angry?" He chuckled again before leaving Harry alone with his egg.

Harry stood at his egg in confusion for a couple moments before he sat down on his bed and pulled the egg in his lap. "So you're angry with me?"

He got two warm pulses in response.

"I don't exactly know how to find out why you're angry with me, so I'll just do trial and error. Is it because I didn't notice that you rolled off my bed yesterday?"

He got one warm pulse.

Harry scratched his head and sighed. "Is it because I'm training with Master Zux?"

He got two warm pulses.

"Oh I get it. You don't like that I'm not going to be paying as much attention to you."

Two faint warm pulses.

Harry smiled sadly and hugged the egg gently. "You feel lonely because I've left you all by yourself in here while I'm working with Master Zux. Would it make you feel better if I bring you in the training room with us?"

Two warm, happy pulses.

Harry laughed and picked the egg up. "Why don't we go visit Dobby and see what he's doing with the pool?"

Again, two happy pulses.

Harry put the egg in the pouch and threw the strap over his shoulder while he walked out his door. The pool was down the hall from the library, and Dobby had seemed very excited about improving the pool.

When Harry opened the door to the pool, he forgot all about his weariness and gasped at the sight. Overnight, Dobby had turned a typical pool into a lake with a waterfall. The waterfall was ten feet over the deepest part of the lake, and Harry guessed that it was to serve as a slide due to the stairs that had been magiced into the rocks. There was healthy grass surrounding the pool and the whole room looked like an ideal place to swim.

Dobby was snapping his fingers close to the waterfall and the water flowed a little faster. His eyes were a little bloodshot from lack of sleep, but he seemed very excited about what he had accomplished.

"This is amazing Dobby," Harry said as he walked over to his friend.

Dobby yelped in surprise and turned around to bow hastily. "Master Harry surprised Dobby. Dobby was hoping to finish last night, but it wasn't perfect enough for Master Harry."

"What are you talking about Dobby? This is bloody brilliant!"

Dobby blushed at the praise and looked up at Harry. "Dobby thought that Master Harry would miss being outside, so Dobby decided to make the pool look like it was outside. Dobby is still working on the sky and is trying to create a breeze. Does Master Harry really like it?"

Harry couldn't stop smiling at Dobby's thoughtfulness. He hadn't thought about how he would be stuck behind stone walls for seven months, but Dobby had been thinking about Harry's best interests.

"I love it Dobby, I can't wait till it's finished. But please don't work yourself to exhaustion over it. Why don't you take a break and finish it tomorrow?"

Dobby's ears drooped slightly. "Does Master Harry not want to swim tonight after training?"

Harry shook his head. "I can live until tomorrow for a swim. I just don't you exhausting your magic in attempt to finish this right away."

Dobby's ears perked up again and he bowed. "Master Harry doesn't want Dobby to get tired," he sniffed. "Dobby always dreamed of serving Master Harry ever since he freed Dobby from his old, bad masters, and Master Harry is an even better master than Dobby ever thought."

Harry grinned in embarrassment and his egg kept warming and cooling, almost as if it was laughing at him.

Outside the pool room, Harry heard the clock begin to chime and he swore under his breath. He said a hasty goodbye to Dobby and he sprinted towards the training room. Zux was looking impatient in the center of the training room when Harry entered, and Harry gulped when he saw that the goblin was surrounded by weapons.

Harry quickly put his egg on one of the chairs and secured it in place with some pillows. Once he was sure that the egg wasn't going anywhere, he sprinted, much to his leg's protest, towards the center and bowed deeply to his master.

"I apologize for being late Master," Harry said sincerely.

Zux snorted and picked up one of the weapons. "When I was training, if I was ever late I had to go through arrow dodging exercises without my armor. I will not do this to you, human skin is much more fragile than a goblin's, but if you are late again then I will take action."

Harry held his bow and apologized again. "I was admiring Dobby's work in the pool room Master."

"You can swim on the weekend when you have time off," Zux snapped. He picked up a large axe off of the floor that was half of his size and gave it an effortless swing. "Today for weapons we will go over the basics. This, obviously, is an axe and is only used by the more thickset warriors. If a goblin does not have the strength to pick it up, then he will not have the strength to wield it. What do you suppose are the advantages and disadvantages of using an axe as a weapon?"

"Um, the axe is heavy so it would be slow," Harry said hesitatingly. Zux nodded encouragingly for Harry to continue. "But because of that weight the axe also has more power and could easily take out an enemy if the wielder has enough power behind the swing."

Zux handed Harry the axe, who nearly dropped it, unprepared for the weight. "That is correct. I do not expect you to be an axe wielder, but weapon diversity is important for a warrior."

Harry nodded and took a couple steps back from Zux before he gave the axe a couple of swings. The weapon just felt wrong in his hands, and the effort of holding onto the weapon alone was making Harry sore.

"I thought as much," Zux said while he held his hand out for the axe. Harry handed him the axe and Zux gently placed it on the ground before picking up a bow. "Goblin bows are much more durable than human ones. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of wielding a bow?"

"A bow is a long range weapon and can be used while hidden," Harry said thoughtfully. "But if someone sees the arrow coming at them it can be evaded. Plus arrows aren't always strong enough to pierce armor."

Zux nodded approvingly and handed Harry the bow and an arrow. "Try to draw that bow. I merely want to see if you possess any potential."

Harry nodded and tried to arrange the arrow on the bow. Zux eventually guided Harry's hands to the correct placements and stepped back while Harry drew the bow. Harry aimed for a tapestry that hung twenty feet in the opposite direction of where Zux and his egg were. He drew the bow and grunted when he realized just how difficult it was. Once the bowstring was drawn, he let it go. Harry smiled, but quickly scowled when he saw that the arrow had barely made it five feet.

"I do not believe that you are a bow wielder either," Zux chuckled while holding his hand out for the bow. "You have a more agile build and you lack the upper body strength to draw the bow effectively. It is quite possible that you will become a decent bow wielder with training, but it is not your ideal weapon."

They went through weapon after weapon from daggers to clubs. Harry thought for a moment that he would be good with a sword like Zux was, but he felt terribly clumsy when wielding a blade. Harry was getting more discouraged with each weapon while Zux was becoming more and more curious.

Harry had just proved that he was not a hammer wielder by nearly dropping it on his foot, and was handing the weapon back to Zux. "Maybe I'm not meant to wield a goblin weapon," he said sadly.

Zux placed the hammer back with the other discarded weapons and noticed that he hadn't brought any more weapons with him. "You are a very curious student Lord Potter-Black. I brought all of the standard weapons, but obviously you are not suited for any of them."

"Are there any other weapons that you didn't bring?" Harry asked desperately.

"Of course there are," Zux snapped. He bit his finger while he tried to think of what uncommonly used weapon would suit Harry.

Harry was not terribly strong, he had a more agile build and his reflexes were very good. Zux thought for a long time before he smiled and waved his hand again. Inside of his hand materialized a sword that was shorter and thinner than the swords that Harry had already tried. It didn't have a guard and its hilt was about six inches long.

"What type of sword is that?" Harry asked.

Zux unsheathed the sword and inspected it thoroughly. "This is a samurai sword. I have never heard of a goblin warrior wielding one, and they are almost never made by goblins. This is the only goblin-made samurai sword in Gringotts, but I doubt that anyone will even notice that it is gone." Once he decided that the sword was in good condition he sheathed it and passed it to Harry.

Harry took the sword and unsheathed it. He grabbed the hilt and gave the sword a couple of swings. It wasn't as heavy as the previous sword had been, it felt easier to maneuver, but it didn't feel nearly as powerful. Harry opened his mouth to ask a question when Zux unsheathed his own sword and quickly ran up to Harry.

Instinctively, Harry blocked Zux's blade with his own, but the goblin was easily overpowering him. Harry stepped to the side and slid his sword out of the lock before he tried jabbing at Zux. The goblin easily dodged the attack and began attacking again. It was easier than it had been when Zux had attacked him earlier that day. He managed to block most of Zux's strikes, but it wasn't long until Zux struck Harry's sword so hard that it flew right out of his hand.

"That was good," Zux complimented while he sheathed his sword.

Harry walked over to pick up the samurai sword and sheathed it. "But I couldn't hold onto it. And I couldn't overpower you."

Zux scoffed and walked over to where he had sat down before. He motioned with his hand for Harry to take a seat as well. Harry slowly limped over, picked up his egg and sat down.

"You should not expect to defeat me until towards the end of your training," Zux said bluntly. "I am one of the finest goblin warriors on this earth, and no newborn can expect to defeat me."

"Newborn?" Harry asked, slightly offended.

Zux chuckled and refilled his goblet with water from the fresh pitcher that Winky had brought out. "A newborn is what goblins call those who are new to training. When you are more skilled I shall stop calling you that. Now, you did exceptionally for one who had never wielded a blade before. A samurai sword may not be for brute strength, but neither are you. Even when you train and get into shape, you will still have an agile build. Nothing can change that. But, with dedicated training, your agile build will prove more useful than you think in battle. Wizards with stocky builds have more difficulty dodging curses."

Harry nodded and hugged his egg which was warming comfortingly. "I guess that's true. I guess I'm just a little disappointed because I figured that I would fight in the war as a Lord of two Ancient Houses with a wicked cool weapon."

"What defines a weapon as 'wicked cool'?" Zux challenged.

"I guess power does," Harry mumbled.

"And why do you believe that power makes a weapon better than any others?" Zux continued.

Harry bit his lip in thought. "Because power destroys. If I was more powerful I could've stopped my friends from being hurt at the ministry and I could've stopped Voldemort from coming back."

"Power is important in battle," he agreed. "But it is not the only factor in victory. What you lack in physical strength you can make up for in skill. If you were truly skilled with that samurai sword and I just picked up my blade, who do you think would win?"

"I would," Harry muttered.

"Why?" Zux challenged.

"Because what I lack in power I make up for in skill. Do you think I could defeat Voldemort if I was more skillful than him?"

Zux sighed and looked at his hands. "I am sorry to tell you Newborn that I do not know. But, I believe that you could give him a run for his money if you work hard enough at it."

They finished their day by going over the basics in the goblin language and some goblin magic theory. Zux was surprised that Harry seemed to have such a natural tongue for the goblin language. By the time that Harry had finished dinner and had free time, he could barely put one foot in front of the other. He took a quick shower and got the history book that Ragnok had given him. Zux peeked in Harry's open door on his way to his own room and smiled when he saw Harry fast asleep on his bed with Ragnok's book on his chest and his egg in his arm.

Zux closed the door and laughed to himself that the next seven months were sure to be interesting.

* * *

A/N- I know that the prophecy is kinda dull, but I'm not very good at prophecies. REVIEW! –Phoenix


	5. Attacked

A/N- I like training chapters  There's too much training to just summarize it in a few chapters.

* * *

Harry spent the next three months trunk time training to his limits. Just like Zux had said, Harry stopped getting sick after the first week. Zux was incredibly tough when he wanted to, and he wasn't afraid of hurting Harry if that was the best way to get the lesson across. At this point in his training, Harry was beginning to get that lean build that Zux had promised, and he was finally filling out his favorite black shirt nicely.

Learning basic goblin magic was harder than Harry had originally thought and Zux was once again correct when he said that Harry would be lucky to learn the basics. So far Harry had learned how to summon small objects with a wave of his hand, push an opponent back and he was working on goblin apparition. So far Harry could only apparate a couple of inches, but Zux was thrilled with his progress.

The goblin warrior had warmed up to Harry considerably and had even taken to calling him "newbie". He worked Harry to his limits, but he was always fair. Thanks to his training, Harry was growing stronger by the week.

On the weekends when Zux wasn't training him, Harry would sit in the library and pour over spell books and would practice them in the training room. Zux would help him when Harry practiced his spells by acting as a moving and fighting target, and there would be the occasional event when Harry's spell would actually connect with the goblin.

Having the forest-like pool had been the only thing keeping Harry sane after the first month of training. Apparently it was very easy to get cabin fever when you're surrounded by stone all day and couldn't leave. Harry never missed a chance to thank Dobby for the work he had put into it and the elf would hold his head up high.

Harry personally thought that the elves had gone through an even bigger transformation than he had. Winky had gained some weight and no longer looked like a faint breeze would blow her over. The kitchen had become her space and no one touched anything in there for fear of messing anything up. Winky used the watch Harry had given her and apparated to different elf-friendly markets to shop for food. It would have been weird to ring up the same elf over twenty times within an hour.

Winky had also done an amazing job on the uniforms that she made for her and Dobby. Because Harry didn't want them to look like slaves and neither elf wanted to be accused of being free, Winky had purchased pillow cases, towels, sheets and blankets to make their uniforms. She made a pair of breeches and a shirt for Dobby out of a couple of pillow cases and a blanket and she made him a jacket out of a wool blanket that she had bought. For herself, she made a simple dress out of a sheet and made herself a lot of different pattern aprons. Upon Harry's insistence, they both wore shoes that Zux had magiced to fit them. They were, as Dobby often put it, "The happiest and luckiest elves on earth". The elves even became comfortable having dinner with Harry and Zux. They always declined having lunch with them, saying that they still had work to do. But, the fact that they would have dinner with Harry was a big enough accomplishment for him.

There was one thing that continued to bother Harry during training. He had been in the trunk for three months so his body had matured three months as had Dobby, Winky and Zux. But, his egg had yet to hatch. He was confident that the egg was okay, he would talk to it before bed every night and the egg would respond, but he felt that it should have hatched by then.

"It's possible that your egg is waiting for the other three to hatch," Zux had told him, but that didn't help Harry's dying curiosity of what animal his true familiar was going to be.

Three months into training, Harry was becoming more and more skilled with the samurai sword. He still couldn't overpower Zux, but he was getting better each day. He was also getting better with the bow and daggers. Weapons' training was beginning to get more intense, but it was Harry's favorite part of training.

Harry and Zux were currently working on his aim with a bow. They were in the training room and Zux had conjured up some targets that varied in size and spread them apart. Harry's fingers had calluses, but Harry was glad for them because they meant that his fingers no longer bled onto the bowstring.

Harry drew back and launched the arrow, aiming for the closest target that was about ten feet in front of him. He grunted in frustration when the arrow hit the edge of the target. He fired three more arrows, but none of them were even close to the center.

"You aren't seeing the arrow's path," Zux said from behind him.

"I'm trying," Harry growled.

Zux chuckled and stepped up next to Harry. "You're hitting the target, but not the center. Your draw is perfect and your stance is as well. I can't tell you how to see the arrow's path; you will only get there with practice."

Harry groaned and continued firing arrows at the target. He continued this until Zux told him to stop so they could go over goblin language. With an irritated sigh, Harry collected the arrows and put them in the quiver on his back. He walked over to the wall where they hung all of the weapons that they worked with and placed the bow and quiver in their respective places before he walked over to his normal seat.

Zux had one of the goblin books placed to the side and had a blank piece of parchment with a quill and ink in the center of the table. "You know what to do."

Harry groaned and moved his egg, which sat in his chair whenever he was training. "Lines, why do we always start with lines?"

"Lines are what have helped you learn what you've learned newbie," Zux said with a smirk.

They went over some goblin grammar for an hour when Harry's egg began to vibrate violently.

"Are you hatching?" Harry asked it, alarmed. He dropped the quill he was holding and picked up the egg. "You've never moved like that before."

Zux frowned at the egg. "It's almost as if it's trembling," he muttered.

Harry opened his mouth to ask the egg what was wrong when Dobby 'popped' into the room looking terrified.

"Master Harry," he gasped. "Dobby was checking Master Harry's room for letters when he found this." He pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to Harry. "Master Harry's owl was in his room screeching and trying to get into the trunk."

With trembling hands, Harry took the paper. In one word, Harry could feel the terror that his best friend was feeling and the danger she was in.

"'Help'," he muttered. He quickly stood up and put the egg back down on the seat. Next he ran over to the weapon's wall and grabbed his samurai sword. "Master my friend is in trouble. I have to help her!"

Zux was already strapping his sword to his belt. "I do not know where she lives; you will have to guide us."

Harry nodded and grabbed Zux's head. His stomach then dropped when he realized that he didn't know where she lived.

"I don't know where she lives," he yelled, furious with himself for not knowing where his best friend lived.

"Calm down," Zux snapped. "You care for her yes?" Harry nodded. "Then you will have to concentrate on her. It will take a higher level of concentration than you are used to, but you need to do it. We are unaware of the situation and she could be dying. Now focus!"

Harry took a deep breath and he closed his eyes. It was like calling forth a memory for a patronus, but he was concentrating solely on Hermione. He pictured her face in his mind. The way her chocolate brown eyes sparkled when she discovered something, the way her brown hair framed her face, the way the corner of her mouth twitched whenever she was annoyed…

While Harry was focusing on Hermione, Zux apparated them to Hermione's house, leaving a nervous Dobby and a trembling egg behind.

They landed roughly in front of an average sized house in a more isolated neighborhood. While Zux quickly scanned the area to make sure that they hadn't been spotted, Harry sprinted towards the house that had the name 'Granger' on its mailbox. Without stopping to knock, Harry opened the door with his alder wand drawn.

The house was dark and quiet. Tentatively, Harry walked down the hall and scanned the downstairs while Zux motioned with his hand that he would take the upstairs. Harry walked into the living room and saw that there were signs of a struggle. The couch was overturned and there were broken pictures and scorch marks on the wall. Harry leaned over the couch and felt his breath catch in his throat when he saw that there lying on the ground was the body of Dan Granger, Hermione's father.

Harry cursed under his breath. He closed Dan Granger's glazed eyes and continued on his search. He made his way to the kitchen and found Crookshanks and Hermione's mom on the floor, dead. Harry felt like he was going to break down right there and then. They were too late and now Hermione and her family were dead.

"Newbie!" Zux's voice came from upstairs.

Harry glanced up alarmed and sprinted upstairs. He looked in every room until he found Zux standing in one of the smaller rooms.

"Are you crazy? There could have been Death Eaters here!" Harry snapped.

Zux didn't respond. His sword was sheathed and he was bent over a small figure. "We need to get her to your hospital now."

Harry let out a faint sound of despair and looked over Zux's shoulder. "Oh Mione'," he cried.

Hermione was lying on the floor of what Harry assumed was her bedroom. There were cuts and burns covering her whole body, but that wasn't the worst of it. Plunged into her side was a six-inch long knife.

Harry knelt down next to her and picked up her cold hand. "Wake up Mione'," he sobbed. "Please wake up."

Hermione suddenly took in a raspy breath and her eyes fluttered open. "H-Harry?"

"Hermione!" Harry cried in relief. "Don't worry; it's going to be okay. We're going to take you to St. Mungos now."

"No," Hermione whispered. "No St. Mungos or Madam Pomfrey," she choked out. "Corrupt."

Harry began rubbing her hand, trying to warm her back up. "What do you mean?"

Hermione stretched her free hand and grabbed a small cloth bundle. She pulled it closer to her and Harry realized that it was the familiar egg that she had gotten. "Death Eaters in hospital," she explained weakly. "And Madam Pomfrey can't be trusted…"

Her eyes began to flutter closed and Harry began to panic. Turning to Zux he begged, "Don't you know any healing? Can't you do anything?"

Zux shook his head and knelt down to pick up Hermione's egg in one hand and her arm in the other. "I am not skilled with healing, but Winky is. Before we started training she told me that she has powerful healing magic for an elf. We have to take her to the trunk. But, you will have to help me apparate her, I apparate the two of you at once."

Harry nodded and held onto Hermione's arm tightly. He gritted his teeth and focused on everything that Zux had taught him about goblin apparition, and felt the familiar sensation of goblin apparition.

They landed roughly in the training room and Hermione let out a cry of pain as the knife in her side was moved. Hearing the noise, Dobby and Winky came running in. Dobby froze in terror when he recognized Hermione and saw her blood beginning to pool around her on the cold stone floor.

"That's Master Harry's, Grangey," Dobby cried.

Winky was the first one to burst into action. She sprinted over to Hermione and began to inspect the wound. "Winky is going to take Master Harry's, Grangey to one of the spare rooms. Winky will be needing clean towels and hot water."

Without waiting to make sure her orders were followed, Winky apparated away, taking Hermione with her. Dobby immediately ran to get what Winky had requested, leaving Harry and Zux in the training room.

Harry was staring at the spot where Hermione had been seconds before. Her blood was slowly spreading and the sight made Harry sick. He quickly turned and emptied his stomach's contents right there on the stone floor. Once he couldn't bring anything else up, he collapsed on his knees and sobbed, adding his tears to the floor.

Zux stood behind him, offering quiet support. He was rubbing Hermione's egg and was glancing anxiously from the egg to the hall where the rooms were.

"Newbie, get up," he said gently.

"It's my fault," Harry sobbed. "They wouldn't have attacked her if they weren't after me."

Zux growled and walked over to where Harry's egg was shaking. He put Hermione's egg down next to it, and Harry's egg immediately shifted so that it was touching Hermione's and began warming it up.

"Newbie," Zux growled. "Stop wallowing in self-pity and go be with your friend."

Harry stared at Zux in shock for a moment before nodding. He wiped his eyes and got rid of the mess on the floor with a wave of his wand. Then he sprinted down the hall and stood outside of the door that was creaked open.

Inside he heard Winky moving around in a hurry and Dobby asking what else he could get, but Harry couldn't bring himself to go in. Instead he sat down on the cold floor right outside the door and tried to stretch out his magic like Zux had taught him. He felt his magic spread out and he sent it through the wall. It quickly found the dimming presence of Hermione's magic, and latched on. Harry didn't know how to channel his magic into another body yet, but right then Harry hoped that just feeling Harry's presence would be enough to comfort Hermione and help her hang on.

He didn't know how long he sat there until someone gently shook his arm. He opened his eyes and found himself staring into Winky's large, tired eyes.

"Is she okay?" he croaked.

Winky yawned and swayed on her feet a little. "Miss Grangey has lost a lot of blood and Winky does not have any blood replenishing potion. The knife is out and Winky repaired most of the damage, but could not heal all of it. Winky cleaned out all of Miss Grangey's cuts and put some medicine on the burns. Winky thinks Miss Grangey will take a long time to recover, but will be okay."

Harry couldn't stop himself from pulling Winky into a hug and crying into her dress. "Thank you so much Winky. I don't know what we would have done if you weren't so good at healing magic."

Winky smiled and patted Harry on the back. "Winky is going to send Dobby to buy some potions because Winky does not know how to make them. Master Harry can go and sit by Miss Grangey if he wants. Winky changed Miss Grangey out of her bloody clothes and gave her one of Master Harry's shirts."

Harry nodded and stood up on shaky legs. "You're amazing Winky, why don't you go sleep, you can barely stand."

"Winky is sleepy," she admitted. "But Master Harry needs to send for Winky if Miss Grangey wakes up or gets worse."

Harry agreed and entered the room. Hermione was fast asleep on the edge of the queen sized bed and Harry saw a stool next to the bed that Winky had stood on to treat her. Her chest was rising and falling with regular breathing patterns, but each breath sounded too shallow for Harry's comfort. He pulled up a chair and began rubbing Hermione's hand again. Her normally tan skin was very pale and was still cold to the touch.

He sat there in silence for what felt like an hour when Zux came in carrying the two eggs. Without a word, he climbed on the other side of the bed and tucked Hermione's egg under her arm and put Harry's egg next to it. He then jumped off of the bed and walked around to give his student a comforting pat on the back before leaving the room.

Dobby came by a little while later with three vials of potion for Hermione and a sandwich with pumpkin juice for Harry.

"Winky is still sleeping and Dobby is not a very good cook," he said. "Miss Grangey needs to take all three of these potions when she wakes up. One is a blood replenishing, one is a hydrating and the other is for pain."

"Thank you Dobby," Harry said quietly.

Dobby placed the tray on the nightstand and left with a bow.

Harry stared at Hermione intently for another hour as if he was afraid that she would vanish if he looked away. He nearly cried out in surprise when Hermione began mumbling under her breath.

"Hermione? Are you awake?"

Hermione mumbled again and moved her head towards Harry. Her eyes fluttered open and she gave Harry a weak smile. "Hi," she said in a tiny voice.

Harry laughed in relief and squeezed her hand. "Hi yourself. How are you feeling?"

Hermione's smile vanished and tears began spilling out of her eyes. "They wanted us to be found weeks later, that's why they didn't send up the Dark Mark. There were four of them; I didn't even have my wand on me. I was coming downstairs when they came in. Two of them went after my parents while the other two came after me. I ran to my room and locked the door. Then I wrote that note to Hedwig and sent her to get you."

She was sobbing now and Harry kept whispering comforting words to her.

"As soon as Hedwig was gone they burst through my door. They used the Cruciatus on me, and one of them talked about raping me, but the other one said that I was too filthy for that. That was when one of them saw the familiar egg on my bed." Hermione anxiously looked for her egg and relaxed when she saw it in her arm. "They didn't know what it was, but they saw that I cared for it so they dropped it on the ground. Is it okay?"

"It's hurt, but that's because you're hurt," Harry assured her. "As long as you're safe and healthy, nothing can break that shell."

Hermione nodded and sank further into her pillow. "After they dropped the egg one of them pulled out a knife. They told me that I was going to die slowly and alone. T-they stabbed me and left the knife in me. I started to black out from the pain when I heard the other two come upstairs and say that the muggles were dead. Are my parents dead Harry?"

Harry squeezed Hermione's hand again. "They are. I'm so sorry Hermione."

Hermione let out another sob and clutched onto Harry's arm for dear life. "One of them didn't want to leave me alive, they were afraid that I would be found and taken to St. Mungos. Then another one said that they had ways to kill a mudblood at the hospital. I don't remember anything else…"

"That's okay," Harry assured her quickly. He wiped Hermione's tears away and gently traced one of her cuts with her finger. "I need to go get Winky; she's the one who saved you."

"Winky? What's she doing here? And where am I exactly?" Hermione asked in confusion.

Harry smiled and stood up. "I've got a lot to tell you, but that can wait till you're stronger."

Winky woke up right away when Harry told her that Hermione was awake. She came to the room at a run and told Harry to wait outside while she checked on Hermione. She inspected Hermione's stab wound and changed the bandages while Harry waited right outside the door.

"Thank you for saving me Winky," Hermione whispered when Winky finished her inspection.

Winky smiled at Hermione and helped her move up slightly so she could swallow easier. "Even if Miss Grangey was not Master Harry's friend, Winky would remember how kind she was after Winky was given clothes."

Hermione smiled and drank the blood replenishing potion with a groan of disgust. "Are you Harry's house elf now?"

"Dobby is Master Harry's house elf too. Master Harry is very kind and Winky is happier with him then she was with Master Crouch."

"I'm glad," Hermione yawned while she took the last two potions. Her eyelids began to droop and before she fell asleep she was aware of Harry coming back into the room and taking her hand in his.

Winky took the tray and smiled when she saw how concerned Harry was for Hermione. Without a word, she slipped out of the room leaving the two friends alone.

"How is the girl?" Zux asked from behind her, nearly making Winky drop the tray. Zux was leaning against the wall next to the door and was looking at the door in concern.

"Miss Grangey is very hurt, but she will get better. Winky wishes that she could get a real healer in here though just to check to make sure that Winky didn't miss anything."

Zux turned away from the door and looked at Winky. "I can go get one of the Gringotts healers. They are sworn to Gringotts and will not be able to reveal anything about a client of two Ancient Houses. I'll go get one of the healers, but I'm sure that you got the worst of it."

Winky blushed slightly and nodded. "Thank you Master Zux. Winky will tell Master Harry what you're doing. Will the Gringotts healer need anything?"

"I don't know, but I'll be back shortly." With that Zux apparated away.

"Master Harry?" Winky called softly while poking her head in the room.

Harry tilted his head slightly to show he had heard, but he didn't take his eyes off of Hermione. "What is it Winky?"

"Winky wanted to tell Master Harry that Master Zux went to get a goblin healer to just give Miss Grangey a look over."

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked alarmed, turning to face Winky.

"Winky has strong healing magic, but Winky is not a healer. Master Zux agreed with Winky that a healer should check on Miss Grangey to make sure that Winky didn't miss anything."

Harry stiffened uncomfortably. He didn't like the idea of a stranger coming into his home. The trunk had become Harry's safe haven and he didn't want anyone who could corrupt the peace to set foot in the apartment.

"Miss Grangey needs a real healer," Winky said softly. "Miss Grangey is already getting better, but wouldn't Master Harry want to make sure that everything is okay?"

"Yeah I would," Harry sighed. "Would you show the Gringotts healer in when he arrives?"

Winky nodded and left the room.

"We're getting a certified healer to give you a look over," he told the sleeping Hermione. "Maybe we should've taken you to Gringotts right away, but then the Death Eaters might've found out that you were still alive."

Harry talked to Hermione soothingly for almost three hours. He was just getting into talking about his training when there was a light knock on the door. Harry turned around and was surprised to see a goblin walking in the room. The goblin was dressed in a simple suit and was carrying a large bag. He walked right up to the side of the bed and practically pushed Harry out of the way so he could stand on the stool.

"Lord Potter-Black I must ask you to leave," the no-nonsense goblin said while he checked Hermione's pulse.

Harry felt his face grow hot. "I'm not leaving Hermione with you when she isn't aware of what's going on. Let me wake her up and let you know what you're doing, and then I'll give you some privacy."

The goblin nodded reluctantly and stepped aside to let Harry through.

"Hermione," Harry said gently while he shook her slightly. "Come on Mione', wake up."

Hermione whimpered slightly and turned her head towards Harry. Her eyes fluttered open weakly and she smiled slightly when she looked into Harry's emerald eyes. "What is it?"

Harry unconsciously began smoothing her bouncy, brown curls. "We have a goblin healer here to give you a thorough check over, just to make sure that Winky didn't miss anything. I'll be right outside the door while you're being looked over."

Hermione looked at the goblin who was glaring at her and turned back to Harry uneasily.

"I'm right outside the door," Harry repeated. "You're safe now."

Hermione nodded and Harry stepped back to let the healer look her over. He paused at the door and gave Hermione a reassuring smile before he walked out.

Zux was standing outside of the door when Harry stepped into the hall. He was staring at the door intently and only seemed to notice Harry walking out of the door until he knelt right in front of him.

"Master is something wrong?" Harry asked tiredly.

Zux sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Ngek Sickdread is Gringotts' finest healer, and a big pain in my arse."

Harry let out a slight chuckle at his Master's crude language. "Why don't you like him Master?"

"He always struts his position around. You would think that he is the sole reason that goblins aren't yet extinct the way he goes on. I try to avoid injury in battle mainly to avoid him."

Harry laughed and leaned against the wall next to Zux. "Why did you bring him if you can't stand him?"

Zux coughed and looked away from the door. "If that girl in there is a true friend to you, I would hate for you to lose her. I brought you the best because I can tell that losing her would destroy you."

"Thank you Master," Harry said, touched.

"Besides," Zux chuckled. "I suppose that I had to see my brother again eventually. I haven't seen him in almost five years."

"He's your brother?" Harry asked, surprised. "Wow, one of you is Ragnok's finest warrior and the other is Ragnok's finest healer. You're quite a pair."

Zux growled and rolled his eyes. "I still don't like him. But your friend is in good hands. I will let you out of training tomorrow so you can spend the day with your friend. But, I expect you ready by 7 the day after. We only have four months left and there's still much to do."

Harry smiled and bowed. "Thank you so much Master."

Zux smirked and began walking towards the training room. "Send my dear brother to me after he is done, I will wish to hear what we will need to do to treat your friend. I hardly want to send for him every day."

"I'll do that Master," Harry chuckled.

He leaned against the wall for almost half an hour. Every now and then he heard Hermione yelp in pain, making Harry nearly burst through the door. Finally, the door opened and Zux's brother came out with his bag and a scowl on his face.

"The girl will live, but will take time to recover," he said bluntly. "Between the knife wound, the damage done by the Cruciatus and some traces from another violent curse, she's very lucky to be alive. Was she cursed before this attack?"

Harry flinched and nodded. "I don't know what curse it was. It was purple and it ended up breaking most of her ribs and it nearly killed her. Is she still suffering from it?"

"Her ribs are still bruised and cannot be healed with magic. Other than that the curse is no longer bothering her. I will not need to check up on her, your house elf performed some adequate healing. It was a sloppy job, but I managed to clean it up."

Harry was liking Ngek less and less. "Winky saved her life," he growled.

Ngek sneered and began walking towards the training room. "Your friend will be fine in a few weeks, so long as she remains in bed and doesn't overexert her magic. I'll leave the necessary potions with your elf. By the way," he said turning back to face Harry. "Have you ever thought of getting your eyes repaired? I never thought that glasses were practical on the battlefield."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise at the change of topic. "Yeah, I would love to not have to wear glasses anymore, but surely healers can't fix eyes otherwise no wizards would need glasses."

"Wizard healers cannot heal eyes," Ngek clarified. "Goblin healers on the other hand are capable of fixing another's eyesight. If you'd like I could offer this procedure to you. It's surprisingly simple and quick."

Harry was about to respond when Zux came storming up to Ngek, eyes blazing. "How dare you offer my pupil a procedure that will make him incapable of training for days? You know as well as I do that you must first run this by me!"

Ngek didn't cower under his brother's fury. "I thought that you would want to give your pupil every advantage he could get," he sneered.

"The best advantage that I could give him would for him to finish training," Zux roared.

The two goblins were glaring daggers at each other when Harry tentatively intervened. "What if Healer Ngek did the procedure on a weekend when we don't train?" he asked Zux. "If he did it after lessons on Friday, that would give me two days to recover. Will that be enough time?" he asked Ngek.

Ngek nodded and smugly looked at his brother. "Two days to recover would be perfect. Now, send your elf to me after you've finished training on Friday and I will come to do the procedure."

"Friday in the trunk will be like a minute to you," Harry warned.

Ngek shrugged. "Then I'll be done that much faster. Now where is your healing elf," he said 'healing' sarcastically and Harry nearly kicked him. "I will give the potions necessary for your friend's recovery."

After Ngek had given the necessary potions to Winky and explained their purposes and doses, Zux gladly apparated him back to Gringotts. As soon as they were gone, Harry headed back to Hermione's room.

She was still awake, but her skin was pale again and her eyes were red from crying. As soon as she saw Harry enter the room she smiled and tried to sit up.

"Don't you dare," Harry warned as he sprinted to the bed and firmly pressed down. "You have a stab wound and bruised ribs, not exactly the condition you want to be moving in."

"Thank you for doing all of this," Hermione sniffed.

Harry smiled and took her hand in his again. "I wasn't going to let you die Mione'. Is there anything that I can get you? Master gave me tomorrow off to be with you."

"Good, you'll be using that time to explain to me what the hell is going on. But..." she stopped, hesitant.

"What is it Hermione?" Harry pressed.

Hermione took in a shuddering breath and brushed a tear away from her eyes. "I need to take care of the funeral arrangements for my parents. There's so much to do, I've got to worry about the house, their practice and I don't know how to do it all."

Harry squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Would you like me to ask the goblins to take care of the house? They could do whatever you need done with it and your parent's practice. If you sell them both the goblins could put the money in your vault or whatever."

Hermione nodded and stifled another sob. "I can't believe they're gone," she whispered.

"I'm so sorry," Harry whispered back.

That night, Hermione Granger sobbed and clutched onto Harry while she considered her new life as an orphan, and what she would do to make sure that the bastards who killed her parents would pay.

* * *

A/N- Poor Hermione  I can be so mean. Next chapter: Funerals and Births. That's right! Harry's egg shall finally hatch! But I might not post it for a while hehe. Review! – Phoenix


	6. Funerals and Births

A/N- Here's the latest chapter. Please review!

* * *

She was in pain. That was the first thing that Hermione was aware of while she slowly woke up. She remembered being taken to the trunk and treated by a goblin called Ngek, but everything became a bit vague after that. Slowly, she opened her eyes and scanned the dark room tiredly. She felt someone tighten their grip on her hand and she felt panic begin to fill her whole body.

_Let go of me_, she screamed in her head. _Let go of me!_

Harry felt the abrupt change in Hermione's heart rate and woke up instantly. "Hermione, Hermione its okay," he tried to soothe her.

Hermione was looking at Harry wildly and didn't seem to recognize him. She tried to wrench her arm free of Harry's grasp and tried to roll away, but cried out in pain when her abdominal muscles stretched painfully.

"Hermione it's me, Harry!" Harry yelled.

The door opened and Zux ran in. He frowned when he saw Hermione thrashing on the bed. "Let go of her Newbie, you're frightening her!"

Harry instantly let go of Hermione's arm and she instantly relaxed and grabbed her egg and began sobbing.

"Hermione," Harry whispered gently. "You're safe now; I won't let anyone hurt you again."

Hermione began to calm down. She cried onto her egg for another minute before she timidly opened her eyes.

"Please don't hurt me," she said in a small voice.

Harry felt his heart drop at the tone of her voice. Slowly, he walked around the bed and crawled on it towards Hermione. Hermione flinched when he started to come towards her, but her egg kept her calm by steadily warming up. Harry moved his egg and gently pulled Hermione into an embrace.

Zux gave Harry a knowing smile before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

"Do you remember where you are Hermione? You're in my trunk, you were attacked and I brought you here. Do you remember?"

Hermione began to relax and felt her heart slow down. "H-Harry? I'm sorry, I thought you were them."

Harry shook his head and began running his fingers through her hair again. "You have nothing to apologize for. You were attacked and you're scared, it's understandable."

Hermione began to tremble violently and she felt her heart begin to accelerate again. "They didn't rape me, but they touched me…I can still feel them."

Harry felt his blood boil and he had to restrain himself from leaping out of the bed to hunt down the sick bastards who did this to his best friend. "They will never touch you again," he growled. "I'll kill them if we ever find out who did this."

Hermione nodded and tried to calm her heart down. "I'm sorry that I'm so weak."

"You are not weak," Harry insisted angrily, causing Hermione to flinch. "I'm sorry," he said in a gentler tone. "You're one of the strongest people I know."

"I wasn't strong enough to save my family," Hermione said bitterly.

Harry felt his stomach clench when he remembered that he had thought the same thing not that long ago. "If you continue to think that it'll eat you up inside."

Hermione bit her lip and sighed. "I want to start working on their funeral arrangements. I can't stand thinking of them decomposing in the house."

"When you're stronger," Harry assured her.

"No," Hermione said firmly. "You don't get it, I can't focus on recovering until I say goodbye to them. Please Harry," she begged. "Let me say goodbye to them."

Harry hesitated for a moment before he sighed and nodded. "I'll have Dobby take you to Gringotts tomorrow. You can ask for Director Ragnok and tell him in private that Lord Potter-Black sent you."

"So I was right," Hermione said a little smugly. "You did claim the title of Lord. I figured that Sirius would give it to you and you would inherit the Potter title along with it."

"You have a lot of things to explain as well," Harry teased her. He wiped a stray tear away from her cheek. "Do you want me to go with you tomorrow? I could deactivate the time compression rune so that time won't fly by in the trunk."

Hermione immediately shook her head. "I've studied runes Harry, if you deactivate it, it will take time to recharge. And you can't miss whatever it is you're doing. I'll be okay."

Harry seemed to hesitate before nodding. "How long do you think you'll be gone?" Harry asked anxiously.

"I really don't want to be there long. I'll try my best to be back within the day."

Harry felt his stomach twinge again. "That means that I possibly won't see you for weeks. One day outside of the trunk is the equivalent to a month inside."

Hermione looked up at Harry with wide eyes. "Do you want me to wait?" she asked painfully.

Harry immediately shook his head. "I was just being selfish. The important thing is that you give your parents a proper burial. Will you come back here when everything is done?"

Hermione nodded and gave Harry a sad smile. "I won't have anywhere else to go."

"You'll live here," Harry said right away. "This will be your room. Dobby can pack up your stuff in your room and bring it here."

Hermione took in a shuddering breath. "I just can't believe that I'll never see them again…"

Harry didn't say anything. There was nothing that he could say. He sat there for the rest of the night holding Hermione while she cried. The next day was going to be hard on Hermione, and Harry couldn't be there for her. He just hoped that she was strong enough to take it.

* * *

Harry woke up at six out of habit. He was about to leap out of bed to get ready when he suddenly remembered where he was. Hermione had fallen asleep on his chest and his arms were still wrapped around her protectively. He didn't want to wake her, she needed all of the rest she could get, but he also knew that there was a small window of opportunity to get her to Gringotts.

"Winky," he whispered so he wouldn't wake Hermione.

Winky immediately popped into the room and bowed. "What can Winky get Master Harry? Miss Grangey needs to take her potions when she wakes up, but Master Ngek told Winky to let Miss Grangey sleep."

"I need to know what time it is outside the trunk. Hermione wants to go to Gringotts to make arrangements, and she doesn't want to wait any longer than she has to."

Winky looked at the watch on her wrist. "It is 1 in the afternoon Master Harry. If Master Harry wakes Miss Grangey up now, Winky can get Miss Grangey's potions and make breakfast."

Harry nodded and Winky ran out of the room to make breakfast. "Hermione," he said gently. "You need to wake up."

Hermione moaned and opened her eyes. She panicked for a moment before she remembered where she was and calmed down. "What is it?"

"It's 1 in the afternoon outside of the trunk, if you want to talk to Ragnok today, you'll have to go now."

Hermione suddenly felt very scared. Outside of the trunk was where the Death Eaters who hurt her were. Outside of the trunk Harry couldn't protect her. Outside of the trunk everything would become real.

Harry sensed her fear and gave her a small hug. "You don't have to go," he said.

Hermione shook her head stubbornly and tried to move without causing herself too much pain. "I do have to go," she said through gritted teeth.

Harry instantly sensed she was in pain and tried to get her to lie back down. "How are you going to do all of that when you can barely move?"

Hermione bit her lip and looked around. She rested her eyes on a leather armchair that was tucked away in the corner. "I'll make a wheelchair. Did you bring my wand when you took me here?"

"Sorry I was a little more concerned with the knife in your gut," Harry said sarcastically. He got out of bed and walked over to the chair. With a flick of his alder wand, the legs transformed into wheels. "Will this be okay?"

"Harry that was skilled Transfiguration," Hermione said, surprised. "When did you learn that?"

Harry shrugged. "I've been training in here for three months Mione'. And not just goblin training."

After Hermione had breakfast and took her potions, Winky helped her clean up and dressed Hermione in some of Harry's clothes. After Hermione stopped grumbling about wearing a pair of loose jeans and a shirt that fit her like a tent, Winky helped Hermione sit in the 'wheelchair'. Hermione only cried out in pain twice while getting ready, but she wasn't going to let pain stop her from doing what she had to do.

Before Dobby took Hermione to Gringotts, Harry put Hermione's egg in his egg pouch and gave it to her. "If you leave it here it will go weeks without seeing you," he said. Harry gave Hermione another hug and Dobby apparated the two of them away.

As soon as they were gone Harry began to feel alone again. He sighed and walked out of the room towards the pool where Zux liked to spend his morning meditation. His assumptions were right on the dime. Sitting underneath the waterfall on a stone that Dobby had conjured for him, was Zux in deep meditation. The goblin was only wearing his breeches, showing his toned chest that was covered with scars.

"Good morning Master," Harry said as he bowed.

Zux immediately opened one eye and he smirked. "What are you doing here Newbie? I told you to spend today with your friend."

Harry smiled sadly. "She went to Gringotts to take care of everything. I wanted her to wait, but she said that she couldn't rest until everything was done."

"And you didn't go with her," Zux said bluntly.

"I need to finish training with you," Harry said somewhat guiltily. "Hermione wants to get strong too, and I can't help her unless I'm strong myself. Do you think that I'm heartless? I've pretty much just sent her to bury her parents by herself."

Zux jumped to the bank and began drying himself off with the towel that he had brought. "We are at war," he said carefully. "And you need to be strong for it. I do not think you are heartless Newbie, but I'm hardly a good judge. All you can do is be there for her when she returns."

Harry thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Do you think we could train today? I know that you gave me today off, but I want to keep busy."

"If you want Newbie," Zux smirked. He began walking out of the pool room. "Training room by 7," he called over his shoulder.

"Yes Master," Harry said with a bow. He ran to his room to change. At this point he would do anything to get his mind off of Hermione. But, the entire day through training he could only think of how rightit felt to have her sleep in his arms.

* * *

Hermione sat anxiously in her transfigured wheelchair. Dobby had apparated her right into an empty conference room, and she was now waiting for Ragnok to show up. The eager house elf stood in the corner of the room, unsure of whether or not he was welcome in there.

"Dobby please sit with me," Hermione begged. "I could use the company."

Dobby seemed unsure for a minute before he came over running. He stood next to Hermione's chair and stood proudly with his hands clasped behind his back.

Hermione flinched as she shifted in her seat. Even though the stab wound had been healed almost completely, she was still fragile and she hated it.

"Is Miss Grangey in pain?" Dobby asked in concern. "Dobby can go find Master Ngek if Miss Grangey needs it."

"I'm okay Dobby," Hermione assured him. "I'm just sore. There's no need to get Ngek."

Dobby opened his mouth to say something, when the large doors opened up behind them. Ragnok strolled in the room confidently with an armful of papers and sat in his chair behind the desk. His eyes darted to the pouch on her side and he smiled.

"Greetings Miss Granger," Ragnok said politely. "Your house elf told me that you were sent here by Lord Potter-Black, and judging by that pouch hanging by your side I'd say that you received one of the familiar eggs."

"Yes Director," Hermione said quietly. "I'm here because I need to take care of everything for my parents. They're…"

Director Ragnok looked at Hermione sympathetically. "Dobby informed me of the situation Miss Granger. I have already sent a goblin team over to your house to recover your parents' bodies and a team to appraise the value of your house and your parents' practice. Are you sure that you want to take care of everything so suddenly? There's nothing wrong with taking some time."

Hermione clenched her fists. "I don't have time to waste," she muttered. "I'm going to train and make those bastards who did this pay. I won't be able to focus on training if I know that these things aren't taken care of."

"But you're talking about selling everything that your parents worked for," Ragnok objected gently. "I don't want you to regret this decision later."

"Don't you understand?" Hermione cried. "I don't want to be reminded of how I failed them! I won't ever be able to live in the house where they were killed, I won't have anything to gain from their practice and I just want them to find peace. They were killed because of me! The least I owe them is to make sure that they have the quiet funeral that they would have wanted! They wouldn't have wanted me to stretch this process out. They would have wanted me to take care of myself first." Hermione began sobbing and Dobby patted her leg sympathetically.

Ragnok looked at her with unreadable eyes. Finally he sighed and began pulling papers out of the pile. "Because you are a friend of Lord Potter-Black, I can offer you Gringotts' complete attention on this case."

Hermione looked alarmed for a second. "This must stay quiet," she insisted.

"Why Miss Granger? Surely people will want to come to your parents' funeral. Why the secrecy?"

Hermione sighed and began rubbing her side. "If Dumbledore finds out that I'm an orphan, he'll try to manipulate me and he'll take me away from Harry. Can you keep everything quiet and let people know last notice about the funeral?"

Ragnok considered this for a moment before nodding. "I'll see it done. You will see that goblins work rather quickly for clients such as Lord Potter-Black. I can have the paperwork done within the hour and I can have a goblin team pack up your belongings. I shall have your belongings sent to your vault so that you can go through them at any time. The money that you receive for your house and your parents' practice shall also be exchanged into wizard currency and put in the vault."

Dobby cleared his throat politely. "Dobby has been told to collect Miss Grangey's belongings from her room. If Master Ragnok and Miss Grangey will be talking for a while, Dobby can take care of that now."

Ragnok nodded and Dobby apparated away after giving Hermione his assurance that he would be right back.

Hermione spent the next half hour going over paperwork and last minute funeral arrangements. She had been surprised when Ragnok told her that the funeral could be done within a matter of hours, and she began to ramble about how there was just too much to get done.

"We're magical Miss Granger," Ragnok said while he added his own signature to some of the forms. "At this moment I have goblins sending out letters to everyone that your parents were close with. The muggles who receive the letters will be confounded to believe that they've known about the funeral for days the second that the letter is read. And once the letter is read it will disappear and the muggles will not know the wiser. I also have a goblin taking care of the muggle records. They are putting down that your parents died in a car accident."

Hermione took in a shuddering breath and nodded. "You guys do work fast. I can't thank you enough for the attention that you're putting into this."

Ragnok smiled and began sorting the paperwork into their respective folders. "You are Harry's friend; therefore I will give you my attention. But, I am truly sorry for your loss. No child should be doing what you're doing at your age."

"Thanks," Hermione whispered.

Dobby apparated back a moment later looking a little tired, but rather pleased. "Dobby has collected Miss Grangey's things and taken them to her room in Master Harry's trunk. Master Harry has also requested that Miss Grangey receive a second wand and has provided the money needed for it."

"Why would I need a second wand?" Hermione asked, confused.

"A wand that isn't registered with the ministry and doesn't have the Trace is very useful for underage magic," Ragnok chuckled.

Hermione frowned. "So they're illegal."

"They are. But they are powerful. I can have a goblin take you there right now if you wish; there are two hours until the funeral."

"Okay, I'll get one. But I want to pay for it; I don't want to take advantage of Harry's gold."

Dobby smiled slightly and shook his head. "Master Harry said that Miss Grangey would say that, so Master Harry told Dobby to say that if Miss Grangey refuses his offer he will be forced to deny Miss Grangey access from the library."

Hermione's dull eyes got a spark back. "Harry has a library? How big is it? How many books?"

"Dobby believes that Master Harry said that the collection is twice the size of the one that Hogwarts has."

Hermione was sold. "Okay, I'll get the wand." She turned back to Ragnok and gave him a sad smile. "Is there anything else that we need to do?"

Ragnok shook his head and collected the folders. "I'm afraid that the only thing that you need to do is attend your parents' funeral. I'll have a goblin stay with you and take you to the funeral site in the graveyard that you specified. I'm sorry that we couldn't meet on happier terms Miss Granger."

Ragnok walked around the desk and shook Hermione's hand. Hermione was crying softly and she nodded stiffly. Without another word, Ragnok left Hermione and Dobby. They weren't alone long, about five seconds later a younger goblin came in and scowled slightly at them.

"Greetings," he said coolly. "I am to be your goblin guide for the next two hours. Director Ragnok instructed me to take you to the wand maker. Are you ready now?"

"We are," Hermione said in an equally cool tone.

The goblin nodded and put one hand on the wheelchair armrest and grabbed Dobby with the other. They apparated to a dark alley and Hermione instantly felt intimidated by her surroundings.

"Where are we?" she asked fearfully.

"Knockturn Alley, where else would you expect to purchase an illegal wand?" the goblin snapped rudely while he walked in the store that they were standing outside of.

Dobby began to push Hermione into the store. "Would Miss Grangey like Dobby to remind this goblin whose friend you are?"

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. "Its fine Dobby, I just want to get through this day."

Dobby nodded sadly and pushed Hermione up to the desk where the same old wizard who made Harry's wand was sitting polishing a gem.

"You are Harry Potter's friend, yes?" he asked abruptly, barely sparing her a glance.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. "Y-yes, I am. I was told that you could make me a more powerful wand."

Eric smiled and immediately went into the back room to collect the necessary materials. He came back and briefly explained the process. Hermione ended up being chosen by a piece of ash wood which was good for intelligence and curiosity. Hermione wasn't surprised by the choice. Her core however did surprise her. She was chosen by a Hippocampus hair. A Hippocampus is a water horse, and their hairs were incredibly rare and powerful for wand cores. The Hippocampus hair proved that Hermione was a very emotional person who felt strongly for others.

"A good core for healers," Eric told her.

When it came to the gemstone, Eric recommended that Hermione get a ruby. Rubies not only helped with intelligence, they also helped the wielder obtain some peace of mind. Hermione didn't need to ask to know that Eric knew about the attack and how her parents were dead.

Eric went into the back and came back in ten minutes with Hermione's new wand. Hermione let out a startled yelp when she felt the rush of power when she cast a spell with her wand, but she also felt comforted by it. The wand felt like it was capable of doing both great damage to those who wished to harm her, and great good to those who Hermione wished to save.

"It's beautiful," Hermione whispered.

"You and Mister Potter are unique," Eric chuckled. "I have never used the cores that reside in your two wands before. You will never be displeased with it."

Eric got Hermione a wand holster like the one that Harry had. Hermione thanked him and paid him for the wand and said goodbye while Dobby pushed her out of the store with the grumpy goblin in tow.

"Where do you want to go now," the goblin asked rudely. "You still have over an hour until the funeral."

Hermione scowled at the goblin and attached her wand holster to the jeans she was wearing. "I don't know…I don't want to go to my house yet and I don't want to spend the next hour in the cemetery."

Dobby sensed that Hermione was about to cry again and ran in front of her and gripped her hands comfortingly. "What if Dobby and goblin guide took Miss Grangey to the bookstore? Master Harry told Dobby that Miss Grangey likes books."

Hermione gave a small smile and nodded. "That would be nice."

The goblin scoffed and apparated them to Flourish and Botts. He scowled in the corner while Dobby pushed Hermione through the bookshelves, grabbing a book for her every now and then. Hermione had a small sad smile on her face, and all things considered she was keeping herself together pretty well.

They were in the bookstore for almost an hour. Hermione had managed to avoid the manager and any questions about why she was in a wheelchair by reading in the corner. She was just finishing with a book on Occlumency when she saw a flash of red out of the corner of her eye. Her heart dropped when she saw Ron and Ginny Weasley walking into the store. They didn't see her yet, but Hermione couldn't get out of there by herself and it wouldn't take long until they saw her.

"Dobby," she whispered intensely.

Dobby immediately came running up to her. "Is Miss Grangey okay?"

Hermione shook her head. "Ron and Ginny are here. If they see me they'll know something happened and they'll tell Dumbledore. Dumbledore will take me away from Harry!"

Dobby scowled. "No one will take Master Harry's, Grangey away. Goblin guide," he called. The goblin came running over. "Take Dobby and Miss Grangey to the funeral now," he ordered.

The goblin glared at Dobby not liking being ordered around by an elf. But, he didn't say anything as he apparated them away. Just as they popped away Ginny turned towards their direction and could've sworn that she saw Hermione's unmistakable mane of hair.

They landed just outside of the cemetery where Hermione's parents were being buried. Hermione clutched something and looked down alarmed to find that she had stolen the book on Occlumency that she had been reading.

"Oh no," she cried. "Dobby I took the book with me! We have to go back to the store and explain to the manager. I can't believe that I stole a book!"

Dobby smiled and put his hand on her knee reassuringly. "Don't worry Miss Grangey. Dobby paid for the book before goblin guide took us away. Miss Grangey seemed to like the book so much that Dobby thought that she would like it. Master Harry asked Dobby to take care of Miss Grangey and try to make her happy."

Hermione smiled at Harry's thoughtfulness and clutched the book tighter. "Thank you Dobby. I guess all there's left to do is bury my parents."

Dobby nodded sadly and pushed Hermione after the goblin towards the location of where the funeral was to take place.

* * *

Harry fired an arrow to a target that was over twenty feet away. He felt a grim satisfaction when the arrow landed dead center, but it wasn't too surprising. It had been over a week since Hermione had left, and Harry couldn't help but feel anxious. Dobby had apparated to the trunk a few days ago and put Hermione's stuff away, and hadn't stayed long enough for Harry to ask how she was doing. But he did get a chance to tell Dobby to take care of her and to have Ragnok take her to Eric to get an illegal wand.

Harry shot every arrow in his quiver without even realizing it. He sighed and went to collect all of the arrows he had shot.

Zux watched Harry train with a knowing look on his face. Ever since Hermione had left, Harry had been distracted. Even though Harry was still excelling at training, there was still that look in his eye that told Zux that his mind wasn't all there.

"You're quite a shot Newbie," Zux said, pleased. "You've come a long way."

"Thanks Master," Harry said distractedly.

They went on to continue weapons training when they heard a 'pop' down the hall followed by sobbing. Harry immediately dropped the bow and quiver, grabbed his egg and ran down the hall.

"Hermione!" he called worriedly.

Without knocking, he burst through the door to Hermione's room. Dobby had helped her into bed and she was clutching her egg for dear life while she sobbed.

Harry was instantly by her side. He gave Dobby a grateful nod and pulled Hermione into a hug.

"It's okay Mione'," he whispered.

Hermione shook her head and grabbed Harry's sweaty shirt. "They're underground Harry," she sobbed. "They're not fine."

"It feels completely overwhelming now, but I promise it gets easier. You just have to let it."

He consoled Hermione for a while before he heard her stomach growl. Chuckling, he pulled back. "Winky is out getting some things for you. I'll have Dobby make you something to eat."

Hermione immediately shook her head and scowled at Harry. "Dobby is exhausted. Let him rest, I'll live without food for a while."

Harry scowled lightly in return. "Hermione you're still recovering from a stab wound. You need to eat to regain your strength. I'll make you something."

Before Hermione could complain, he put his egg in her lap and ran to the kitchen. He made her a quick sandwich and rummaged through the cupboards for something else he could give her.

He was pulling out a bag of rice cakes when he heard her scream.

"Harry!"

Harry immediately dropped the plate he was carrying and sprinted to Hermione's room. He passed Zux along the way who was laughing softly much to Harry's irritation. He burst into Hermione's room for the second time that day.

"Are you okay?" he asked urgently while he ran up to her bed.

Hermione was staring at her lap looking perplexed and excited. She handed Harry his egg before holding her own in front of her face.

"Our familiar eggs are hatching!"

Harry looked down at his egg, stunned. "How can you be sure?"

Hermione gave a little 'tut' of annoyance and pointed to her egg's shell. The egg was shaking on occasion and seemed to have something poking out of it. "I don't know why mine is hatching with yours; I figured that my familiar would need to recover with me first."

"Maybe it knew that you needed company," Harry offered.

The two friends watched their eggs continue to shake and poke at the shell. Harry was beginning to feel his curiosity begin to overflow again and was about to open the egg himself when his familiar finally broke through the shell.

Harry looked into the tiny hole that his familiar had made. Staring back at him was a small, brilliant emerald eye.

* * *

A/N- Haha! Cliffy! I don't like writing funerals, so I didn't! Also, I might not update for a while, I've got two tests next week and I have to study for them. Review! -Phoenix


	7. Kex and Ivy

A/N- Hehe my tests are done! Now I'll have more time to update. Review!

* * *

Harry pushed Zux back using some goblin magic while he made a dive for his sword. The two had started some serious sparring after Hermione had returned to the trunk, and so far Harry's record was not good at all. Zux spun to the side to avoid Harry's magic and quickly ran behind Harry before he had a chance to reach his sword. Zux's sword was at Harry's throat before Harry could get away.

"Better," Zux said a little smugly. "You're still slow with your goblin magic. But don't fret; using goblin magic on a skilled goblin warrior doesn't always work. Using it against a wizard is a different story though."

Harry grunted in return and Zux lowered his sword. He went over and picked up his own sword and sheathed it irritably. "I'm still losing. I haven't come close to beating you once."

Zux snorted and glanced at the clock. "It's almost 12, you may stop now early for lunch. You can relieve Hermione of duty and have lunch together."

Harry bowed in thanks and put his sword back on the wall. With a smile on his face, he ran to Hermione's room.

Hermione had been back for almost a week, and she was getting stronger. She still tired easily and was bedridden most of the day, much to her irritation, but she was out of the danger zone completely.

Harry smiled and rubbed his hands over his eyes, his smile widening when he felt the absence of the glasses that he had worn his whole life. During Hermione's absence, Winky had gone to get Ngek and the skilled goblin made it so that Harry would never need to wear glasses again.

When he made it to Hermione's room and knocked loudly. He had learned the hard way to knock before entering a lady's room.

"Come on!" came the reply.

Harry opened the door and walked in the room. "How are they today? They aren't draining you are they?"

Hermione gave Harry a look of mock annoyance. She was sitting propped up in her bed with her Occlumency book opened on her lap. Since she couldn't train with Harry for another week at best, she had decided to train her mind.

"Ivy is an angel," Hermione said happily. "Your familiar is the one who is completely exhausting me."

Harry laughed and walked up to the bed. He smiled down at the small little ball of brown fur that sat in Hermione's lap trying to read along. He stroked it roughly and it quickly turned around and let out a little bark of annoyance.

"Ivy hates being stroked like that," Hermione said indignantly while she picked up the little fox kit.

Ivy was a fennec fox. Her fur was darker than a normal fennec fox, but it matched Hermione's hair perfectly. Ivy had ears that were half the size of her head and she had a small, but lean build. Hermione had told Harry that when Ivy grew up she would be smaller than Crookshanks was, but she would be much faster.

"Sorry Ivy," Harry laughed. He flinched slightly under Ivy's black glare. She got her glare from Hermione. "So where's Kex?"

Hermione tore her eyes away from Ivy and dug her hands underneath her blanket. There was a faint squeak and Hermione pulled out a small struggling ball of dark fur that fit in her palm. Harry immediately took the hyperactive creature away from Hermione and tried to calm it down.

"Come on Kex," Harry said exasperatedly. "I know you don't like being cooped up in here, but it's just until you've grown a little more."

Kex stopped struggling and glared at Harry with blazing emerald eyes. Harry's familiar was none other than a pine marten. He decided to give the little pine marten a goblin name, and Zux had recommended Kex, saying that it was a powerful name in his race. Kex was smaller than Ivy, but they would be about the same size when they reached adulthood. Kex's fur was a mix of black and brown and his claws were hooked and already very sharp.

Kex squealed irritably and tried to scratch Harry's hand.

"I already told you, you're too small to be in the training area when I'm training with Master Zux," Harry snapped back. "When you were an egg you couldn't be broken, but now you can. Plus it doesn't help that you try to run under my feet all the time. I promise, when you're bigger. Besides at the rate you're growing you'll be out there in no time."

Kex squealed again under his breath and struggled to climb onto Harry's shoulder.

"You're impossible," Harry moaned while he gave in and put Kex on his shoulder. Kex squealed happily and dug his claws into Harry's shoulder to hang on.

"So how's training?" Hermione asked while she and Ivy started reading again.

Harry sat on the end of her bed and shrugged. "Master Zux beat me again. He's so fast; he beats me before I can even make a move."

Hermione shrugged and closed the book. She put the book to the side and pushed herself further up. She winced when her stomach stretched too much and grabbed her side.

"You okay?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded and scratched Ivy behind the ears. "I'm getting there. But I'm going crazy being stuck in bed all day. I tried walking earlier, but I could barely make it to the bathroom."

Harry frowned. "You shouldn't push yourself Mione', you were stabbed and tortured, and you can't expect to recover overnight."

"I know that!" Hermione snapped, causing Ivy to look up in alarm and squeak something. "I know Ivy," Hermione sighed. "Look at you, you're barely a week old and you can already read and I can understand everything that you say."

Ivy gave Hermione a fox grin and nuzzled Hermione's stomach with her head.

Harry and Hermione played with their familiars until Winky walked in carrying a tray full of sandwiches, potions and an assortment of fruit and meat.

"Thanks Winky," Harry and Hermione said in unison.

Winky smiled and left the room.

While Harry fed Kex and Ivy, Hermione quickly drank the rancid potions that she had to take for another week. Once the familiars were fed and the potions gone, Harry and Hermione enjoyed their own lunch.

Hermione was still depressed about what had happened to herself and her parents, but between Harry and Ivy she was slowly getting that spark back in her chocolate-brown eyes.

They enjoyed each other's company until it was almost time for Harry to resume training. He gently pried Kex's claws out of his shirt and put him on the bed. Kex began to cry and Harry had to stop himself from picking the small pine marten back up.

"I'm sorry mate," he said. "I've got to change and meet Master Zux. Be good for Hermione, stop scratching her."

Kex rolled his eyes and scrambled over so he could curl up next to Hermione. He glared at Harry and snuggled up as close to her as he could.

"Will you be okay with him?" Harry asked Hermione.

Hermione nodded and opened her book again. "He's fine after lunch, he falls right asleep. Now go, if I'm going to teach you Occlumency, I've got to know it myself."

Harry nodded and headed out the door. "Hopefully Kex will have calmed down a little by the time we leave the trunk, I hardly think that Hedwig will have the patience for him."

"He's still a baby Harry," Hermione scolded him while Kex squealed in agreement.

Harry held his hands up in surrender and left to change. Once he was wearing a new training outfit, he ran to the training room and sat cross-legged on the floor while he waited for Zux to return.

They had a brutal weapon session. Zux had Harry practice with his samurai sword for most of the time and on daggers for the remainder. Harry was also skilled with daggers because they needed a wielder who was fast and agile, both of which Harry were.

Harry was dodging spells that were being shot at him by the training dummy that he was practicing with. While he dodged each spell, he made his way closer to the dummy with the goblin daggers in his hands. He was about to stab the dagger where the heart would be when a loud screech came from down the hall followed by angry barking.

While Harry was distracted the dummy hit him with a goblin version of the _Averte Statura_ spell. He was flung ten feet back and barely had time to spin in the air before he hit the ground and landed on his hands.

"What the hell was that?" Zux asked bluntly from the sidelines.

Harry sighed and put the daggers in their sheaths. "It sounded like Kex and Ivy fighting. Master would it be okay if I went to check on them and make sure that Hermione is okay?"

Zux scowled and shook his head. "I'm sorry Newbie, but we've only got a couple months left together and I still have much to teach you. You'll have to let Dobby or Winky help out Hermione."

Harry looked like he was about to argue, but was silenced by a glare from Zux. "Okay," he mumbled irritably.

For the rest of the day Harry was forbidden from going to check on Hermione and the familiars. He could barely focus during his language and magic lesson. By the time they were done for the day, Harry was out of his chair before the clock even finished chiming.

He ran to Hermione's room and knocked loudly. When there was no answer he frowned and knocked again. Again, no answer.

"Hermione?" he called anxiously.

When there was no reply Harry tentatively opened the door. He immediately almost choked on a feather that flew in front of his face.

The room was a war zone. One of Hermione's pillows was in shreds, like something had pounded on it before they demolished it. The linens on Hermione's bed were thrown on the floor, and Harry did not like how the bed was completely empty.

"Bloody hell Kex," Harry muttered.

The door opened behind him and Dobby walked in. "Oh there is Master Harry. Winky sent Dobby to tell Master Harry that dinner is ready." Dobby looked around the room and cleaned up the mess with a snap of his fingers.

"Dobby, where's Hermione?" Harry asked. "And what the heck happened?"

Dobby chuckled and snapped his fingers again so Hermione's bed made itself. "Dobby thinks that Kex irritated Ivy and Miss Grangey had to throw a pillow at them to stop them from fighting. Miss Grangey is in the dining room if Master Harry wants the whole story."

Harry thanked Dobby and ran to the dining room. He let out a breath of annoyance when he saw Hermione sitting at the table looking pale and trying to catch her breath. Ivy was sitting on a large pillow on the chair next to Hermione, taking part in a cold staring contest with Kex who was sitting next to her.

"Come on Hermione," Harry said exasperatedly. "Why can't you stay in bed and get better? Why do you insist on pushing yourself?"

Hermione glared at Harry. "I'm sick of sitting in bed all day. And it's not like I collapsed on the way here."

Harry sighed and went over to pick up Kex before Ivy tried to bite him. "So what happened earlier? Master Zux wouldn't let me come find out."

Before Hermione could respond, Kex leapt out of Harry's arms and ran back towards Ivy. The fennec fox yelped in surprise and jumped out of the chair just before Kex came crashing into it. Ivy began barking angrily and tried to bite Kex's tail, but Harry once again grabbed the energetic pine marten out of the way.

"What is the matter with you Kex? You shouldn't attack Ivy like that!"

Kex squealed angrily and tried to get out of Harry's grasp again. Even though Kex wasn't any bigger than Harry's hand, Harry could barely hold onto him. After a minute Kex calmed down and began squealing sheepishly and began gnawing on Harry's fingers gently.

"I've been thinking about why they're growing so fast, and I think it explains why Kex has been acting out," Hermione said while Ivy tried to climb into her lap.

Harry put Kex on his shoulder and helped Ivy in Hermione's lap. "Yeah? Why do you think it is?"

Hermione gently stroked Ivy's fur while she explained it to Harry. "Well first off, because they were born from familiar eggs they naturally have a close connection to us. While they are in their eggs, their bodies aren't developing so much as their magic. Their magic forms first and the bodies come after. But, this is the thing: familiar eggs have a life connection to their wizard or witch. When we die, they will die. And because neither of us are exactly babies, their magic is accelerating their development so that they match us."

Harry thought about this for a moment before he sighed. "I guess that explains how Kex went through such a growth spurt in a matter of days. So you think that their magic is making their bodies catch up?"

Hermione held her finger in front of Ivy who began to chew on it gently. "I do, which is why I think that Kex is acting out. He's going through all these changes and you aren't there to help him with them. Look, right now, see how he's trying to gnaw on your fingers? His teeth are developing and they're hurting him. The same things happening to Ivy, but she calms down when I let her chew my fingers. I've tried to get Kex to chew something, be it me or my bedpost, but he only wants you."

Harry frowned when he looked at Kex. Kex looked sadder than Harry had ever seen him. With a sad smile, Harry held his hand in front of Kex who began to bite it. The young pine marten was growing bigger by the day, but he had never thought about whether or not it hurt him. "So why does he keep trying to attack Ivy?"

"He's jealous," Hermione said simply. "I'm with Ivy all day and I comfort her, but I can't offer Kex the same comfort. But don't worry, if my calculations are correct, they'll have caught up to us in another week."

Kex growled sadly and started to bite Harry's hand more forcefully, drawing little droplets of blood. "I can't wait for you to catch up either pal," Harry told the little bundle of fluff sympathetically. "I've got tomorrow off from training; we'll spend the whole day together."

Kex squealed happily and began to nip at Harry's ears gently.

Harry laughed and sat down next to Hermione. While they were talking about Harry's training, Winky summoned all of the food that she had prepared and sat down next to Dobby. Zux didn't come in until a little while later saying that he had something to take care of, but wouldn't clarify what it was.

They all enjoyed dinner and all had a good laugh when Kex leapt into the bowl of pudding that he had taken a liking to. When they were all done, Winky cleaned the room with a snap of her fingers and everyone dispersed for the night. Harry helped Hermione to her room, but was forbidden from coming inside.

"Harry James Potter, I'm going to change and I do not want your help with that," Hermione teased when Harry started to object.

"If you're sure," Harry said uncertainly.

Hermione smiled and gripped Harry's hand in her own. There was a slight spark when their skin touched, causing both of them to blush. "I'm sure, but there is something that you could do for me."

"Name it," Harry said at once while Kex sniggered from his spot on Harry's shoulder.

"Would you bring me whatever books on Occlumency that you have in the library?" Hermione begged. "I want to check every reference before I start sorting through my mind."

Harry smirked. "You've been studying Occlumency for a week and you're already better than me. Of course I'll bring you the books, and don't worry about putting them back right away. Keep them out as long as you need."

Hermione beamed and opened her door. Ivy immediately ran inside while Hermione paused in the doorway looking at Harry. Ever since she had come back and noticed that Harry didn't need glasses anymore, she had been captivated by his emerald eyes.

"Thank you Harry," she said sincerely. "For everything. I literally wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

Harry fidgeted uncomfortably and mumbled a barely audible 'you're welcome' while he blushed slightly. As soon as Hermione closed her door, Harry sprinted to the library with Kex barely holding on. At that moment the only thing on his mind was seeing that brilliant smile again, and being the one who caused it.

* * *

Hermione started some light physical training a week later. At first she started out just by walking around the training room with Ivy keeping pace with her while Harry ran laps around her with Kex barely holding on.

Her calculations were correct and the two familiars had caught up with them about a week later. Ivy was smaller than Crookshanks had been, and fit in Hermione's lap perfectly. She could also fit on Hermione's shoulder, but Ivy preferred to be on the ground. Kex was slightly smaller than Ivy and could still rest on Harry's shoulder, his favorite spot. The pine marten didn't pick fights with Ivy anymore and had mellowed out after he stopped growing; now he was just as loyal and caring as Harry was, with Harry's temper to boot.

Ivy was exactly like Hermione. She loved to read and would open a book when she got bored, got irritated when someone was slacking off and was susceptible by her emotions.

Hermione and Ivy were taking their time doing their laps while Harry finished his three mile run.

"I can't wait until I get my full strength back," Hermione told Ivy.

"_You're getting stronger every day_," Ivy said in return. "_A week ago you couldn't even make it to the library without help_."

Hermione sighed and nodded. She truly valued her conversations with Ivy, mainly because she was the only one who could understand her. It worked the same way with Harry and Kex.

"_Are we going to try out the pool today_?" Ivy asked eagerly, she had been dying to try out the pool.

Hermione's shoulders slumped slightly. "I do want to go swimming, but the only swim suits that I own are bikinis and…"

"_You don't want anyone to see the scars_," Ivy finished for her.

"The little scars are long gone, but Ngek said that the scar from the knife will never go away," Hermione said tearfully. "And the scar from when I got cursed at the Department of Mysteries is even longer and uglier."

Ivy flicked Hermione's leg with her tail sympathetically. "_Why don't you glamour it when you're wearing your suit? If you cast it with your ash wand then it should be powerful enough to last a while_."

Hermione wiped some sweat from her forehead. "You're right; my ash wand would be perfect. It's so nice to be able to have these intelligent conversations with you, I love talking with Harry, but I can't talk to him as well as I can with you."

"_I __**am**__ your familiar after all_," Ivy laughed. "_I'm a part of you, and if you can't talk to me then there's something wrong with you."_

Hermione laughed with the fennec fox and finished the lap. As soon as they were finished, Hermione collapsed in a chair and tried to catch her breath. Her workout clothes were sweaty and stuck to her petite body.

"You okay Hermione?" Harry called while he continued to run.

"I'm fine," Hermione panted. "I did one lap more than I did yesterday."

Harry smiled at that. "That's great! You'll be completely better in no time!"

Hermione smiled at Harry's enthusiasm. "I think I might even head to the pool today. I've always loved swimming and it's a great form of exercise."

Harry's smile wavered for a second, but it was back before Hermione noticed. "That sounds like fun. Do you want to go tonight?"

Kex gently nipped Harry's ear. "_I think she wants to go alone. She probably doesn't want to be babysat_."

"But she could drown or something," Harry whispered anxiously.

"_If something happens Ivy can get us_," Kex assured him. "_If Ivy comes to us near death, then you can panic_."

Harry sighed irritably. "So I guess you're the voice of reason between the two of us huh?"

Kex laughed and nuzzled against Harry's neck. "_Did you ever doubt it_?"

The two laughed together with Hermione and Ivy watching fondly. "_Kex talked Harry out of babysitting you_," Ivy translated. Because they were both familiars, Ivy and Kex could understand each other. "_Can we go swimming now? We can swim till lunch_."

Hermione smiled eagerly. "Okay, let's do it." Hermione stiffly walked over to Harry who was now doing pushups with Zux looking on. "Ivy and I are going to try swimming for a little while."

Harry still looked uneasy, but Zux nodded in agreement. "Swimming is the best way for you to gain your strength back without putting too much strain on your body," he said. "I will not be here long enough to train you, so I will push hard to finish Harry's training so that he can train you. You need to focus on regaining your strength, and when that happens I can start your training and Harry can finish it."

Hermione smiled and nodded. "We'll join you for lunch." Ivy started barking excitedly and ran towards their room, Hermione slowly followed.

"Be careful," Harry couldn't help crying out.

Hermione stopped and turned back to give Harry a small glare. "I will," she said through gritted teeth.

Without another word, Hermione left the training area. Harry stared at her guiltily and couldn't even register Kex's scolding for a few moments.

"I made her mad," Harry stated.

"_You did_," Kex agreed. "_She'll calm down_."

"I suppose," Harry muttered.

Harry finished physical training with one eye fixed on the hallway to keep an eye out for Ivy. Eventually Kex got irritated and decided to join them at the pool, to go for a swim and put Harry's mind at rest knowing that someone other than Ivy was with Hermione.

Harry was finishing his latest exercise when the clock chimed signaling that it was lunch time. With a promise to Zux that he would be right back for lunch, he jogged down the hall towards the pool. When he opened the door to the pool room he felt his heart skip a beat.

Right on the water's edge was Hermione watching Ivy and Kex chase each other in the shallow water. Hermione had her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and was dripping wet. But, it wasn't her hair that Harry was staring at. Hermione was wearing a light blue bikini that showed off her curves quite nicely.

"It's time for lunch," Harry croaked out after a moment.

Hermione looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Is it really? We lost track of time."

She called out to the familiars and walked over to the tree stump where she had a towel, a pair of shorts and a tank top waiting. She grabbed the towel and quickly dried herself off before she put on her clothes. Before Hermione put on her shirt Harry noticed with surprise that there weren't any scars on her body.

_Did she glamour them?_ Harry asked himself. _I wonder if she's ashamed of them._

As soon as she was dressed, Hermione gave Ivy and Kex a quick rub down with her towel. Once Ivy was dry, Hermione picked her up and held her like she used to hold Crookshanks. Kex ran up to Harry and instantly climbed up onto Harry's shoulder and sighed contently.

"_She only did a few swimming laps_," Kex informed Harry. "_Swimming was much easier for her than walking around the training room was. I think she and Ivy are planning to come here every day to get back in shape_."

"I guess if it's easier for her," Harry said reluctantly.

Hermione led the way to the dining room where they had started to have lunch, only stopping to put the towel in her dirty clothes bin. They made their way to the dining room and enjoyed a light lunch that Winky had made them. Zux finished his lunch quickly and excused himself, leaving Harry and Hermione alone with their familiars. They were almost done with lunch when Harry finally asked the question that had been plaguing his thoughts ever since Hermione had been attacked.

"Why can't we trust Madam Pomfrey?"

Hermione looked surprised at the abrupt change of topic. "Why are you asking this now?"

Harry looked a little uncomfortable. "I've wanted to ask for a while now, but I didn't want to upset you."

Hermione smiled sadly and began scratching Ivy behind her ears. "I found something out during my time in the hospital wing at the end of the term. When I had to take all of those terrible potions, I noticed that I was feeling weaker each day instead of stronger like Madam Pomfrey said I would. So, the next time I had to take my potions I had took the time to carefully examine them and I noticed that one of the potions that I had to take was an herbicide potion."

Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously. "She made you take a potion that is meant to kill plants? That could've killed you!"

Hermione shook her head. "It is meant for plants, but it isn't fatal to humans. It just makes the drinker sick and weak. When I realized what it was, I started vanishing it instead of drinking it. That was when I started getting better. That was also when Madam Pomfrey started watching me to make sure that I drank the potion."

"How did you convince her that you stopped drinking the potions?" Harry asked.

Hermione suddenly looked disgusted and rubbed her stomach. "Madam Pomfrey only watched me take the herbicide potion, after I drank that she would put the rest on my nightstand and leave. As soon as she was gone I would make myself throw it back up in the trashcan that was next to my bed and vanished it."

Harry and Kex both looked appalled and Ivy nuzzled Hermione sympathetically. "You had to make yourself sick in order to get better? How could they do that to you? And how did Ron not notice, he was right next to you!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue scornfully at the mere mention of Ron. "I had to take the potions early in the morning. Ron never woke up until long after I took them and he never heard me make myself sick. I felt so disgusted with myself and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to keep anything else down."

"Is that why it took you so long to recover from Dolohov's curse?" Harry whispered.

"I probably would have been fine within a week if Madam Pomfrey hadn't made me take that rancid potion," Hermione spat venomously.

Harry held Hermione's hand comfortingly. "Do you know why she would do that to you?" he asked gently.

Hermione looked unsure for a moment before she squeezed Harry's hand tightly in return. "I think they wanted to keep me away from you."

Whatever answer Harry had been expecting that hadn't been it. His eyes widened in shock and guilt and he looked like he couldn't even form a sentence. He finally opened his mouth to apologize when Hermione put a delicate finger on Harry's lips.

"It was not your fault," she said slowly and sternly. "I think that Dumbledore told Madam Pomfrey to give me that potion. Who knows, he might have even used the Imperius curse on her. With Ron and me out of the way, who do you think Dumbledore expected you to run and cry to?"

"Himself," Harry muttered. "I didn't cry so much as destroy some of his possessions."

Hermione chuckled and moved her finger, somewhat reluctantly, from Harry's lips. "Dumbledore has much to gain from you. You're the Lord of two houses, and if you remain under his thumb then it's like he is Lord and not you. Harry, you really have the power to do some good, but you need to know everything there is to know about being a Lord and I can't teach you that. Only someone from an Ancient House themselves can teach you."

"Do you know anyone?" Harry asked.

"I do," Hermione said with a smile. "A certain Neville Longbottom."

* * *

A/N- Next chapter Harry's training with Zux Greatkiller comes to an end. Review! -Phoenix


	8. Lightscar

A/N- Some people wonder why I chose a pine marten for Harry's familiar. For those who didn't know, a pine marten is in the same family as a wolverine, weasel and otter. They are also incredibly brave and they don't abandon their young no matter how tough the opponent is. So basically, I chose a pine marten because they take on an opponent no matter the odds to protect something, they are agile and they are smart. Now call me crazy, but I thought that this fit Harry quite well. Rest assured that I thought long and hard on what the familiar eggs would hatch into, and I am very happy with my choices.

* * *

Hermione drew her new goblin-made bow with little effort. She didn't even need to look at the target, she knew in her gut where she had to shoot. With a satisfied grin, she released the bow and laughed when she heard the arrow fly through the air and hit its target. The sound of an arrow flying through the air had become her favorite ever since she began training with the bow.

She wiped the sweat that was gathering on her forehead with her hand before she put the bow in the holster that she was wearing on her back.

"I still can't believe that you can hit the center with your eyes closed," a voice said behind her.

Hermione turned around and smiled when she saw that Harry was wearing the traditional goblin warrior attire of a tunic and breeches that Zux had given him the night before. Harry looked so different than he had looked at the end of their fifth year and Hermione still couldn't get over it.

His muscles, though not bulging, were incredibly well toned and Hermione knew that underneath his clothes was an ample amount of muscle. He had an air of confidence about him that Hermione liked. His body was still agile, but after seven months of training and a good diet courtesy of Winky, Harry was incredibly powerful. But, what Hermione loved the most about this change in him was that he hadn't let anything that happen go to his head, and he was still the same kind, loyal and compassionate Harry who Hermione had befriended all those years ago.

"Are you ready for today?" Hermione asked anxiously.

Harry shifted anxiously on his feet. "Today is my goblin warrior ceremony; of course I'm not ready. In order to become recognized as a goblin warrior, I have to beat my master, who just so happens to be one of the most powerful warriors in the entire goblin race. I wish right now that there were other goblins here with us. Zux said that I had to fight a goblin and put up a decent fight, and that normally the master wouldn't be the opponent, but under these circumstances he has to be my opponent. I have to defeat Ragnok's finest warrior!"

Hermione giggled and pulled Harry into a comforting hug. "You'll be great. You've been working for seven months, you're ready."

Harry seemed a little comforted and he returned the hug. "I just hope that Master Zux won't be disappointed with me."

"He could never be disappointed with you," Hermione said. "Zux is so proud of you."

"He's proud of you too," Harry put in. "You've only been training with him for two months and you're already a master with that bow."

Hermione beamed at the praise. She had completely recovered her strength and had gotten in decent shape thanks to her swimming laps by Harry's fifth month with Zux. Her muscles were leaner than they had been before she started training and she was starting to get faster than Harry. She didn't have any talent for goblin magic, but she was a natural at elf apparition which Winky had started teaching her.

"This means that you'll have to do well today so that you can finish my training," Hermione told him with mock sternness. When Harry gulped again in nervousness, Hermione laughed and took off her archer's glove.

Harry began doing some routine stretches and exercises to warm up while Hermione put away the archery equipment. When Harry was stretched and ready to go, he walked to the center of the training room and knelt down on the floor with his hand on his sword's hilt.

While Harry waited for the test to start, Hermione went to sit in the armchair on the edge of the training room. Once she was comfortable she turned towards the hall and rolled her eyes impatiently.

"You two can come out now," she said irritably. "I'm done shooting. And it's not like I would hit you anyway."

Two heads poked nervously into the training room. Ivy and Kex preferred to wait in the hall when Hermione was practicing with her bow. The thought of a bow-wielder practicing with her eyes closed did not appeal to the two of them.

"_We wouldn't hide if you would shoot with your eyes open_," Ivy muttered while Kex nodded in agreement.

Hermione giggled and held out her arms. Ivy immediately dashed across the room, and leapt into them and snuggled against Hermione's chest. Kex trotted over more slowly and climbed onto the armrest. He stood on shaky hind legs and squealed something to Harry. Harry looked over and smiled at the encouragement.

Once the three observers were comfortable, Hermione took out her ash wand and drew out some runes in the air. The runes glowed yellow for a moment before they faded and a thick barrier surrounded the spectators.

"The barrier is in place," Hermione called to Harry.

Harry looked somewhat relieved that the barrier had worked. The only way that Harry had agreed to let Hermione and the familiars watch his test was if they were protected so that they wouldn't get hit by a stray spell.

They all waited anxiously for another ten minutes. As soon as the bell started chiming, signaling 12 o'clock, Harry got to his feet and bowed low. Zux came out of the hall with an unreadable expression on his face holding a bundled sword in his hands. He walked into the center of the training room and held the sword in front of him.

"Are you, Lord Potter-Black, ready to take the test of the goblins that will prove you worthy of bearing the title of 'goblin warrior' should you pass?" Zux asked with a serious tone.

Harry kept his eyes on the floor and nodded. "I, Lord Potter-Black, do hereby agree to take the test to prove myself worthy of the title of 'goblin warrior'."

Zux nodded approvingly and strapped the bundled sword to his side. "In order to pass this test, you must take away this sword from me. Should you accomplish this, the blade will be yours and you will gain the title of 'goblin warrior'. Be warned though, you will need to aim to kill if you wish to have a chance at passing."

Harry nodded again with his hand still on the sword hilt. There was a moment of silence while Harry and Zux stared at each other, measuring up each other's strength.

"Begin!" Zux shouted.

Instantly, Harry drew his sword and ran at Zux. This duel was strictly goblin magic and weapons only, no wizarding spells allowed. Zux drew his sword as well and used it to effortlessly block Harry's attack. Without so much as a grunt of effort, Zux pushed Harry back and began striking out at Harry. Harry quickly parried each blow, but they were coming so fast that Harry couldn't retaliate.

Zux began to back Harry against the wall, making Harry curse under his breath. Before Zux could corner him, Harry pushed Zux back with some goblin magic once the goblin got close. Zux was pushed back ten feet, but he never lost his balance. Before Harry could attack, he sprinted forward and the two swords met in a bind. A bind was a true test of strength where the swords were locked, and this bind wasn't going anywhere.

While Harry had the advantage of size, Zux had the advantage of strength and experience. The goblin pushed his weight into the blade and forced the two locked swords to the side. Harry tried to push the blades back, but he had lost his advantage of superior size. Deciding that he was going to lose this test of strength, he stopped fighting and let his blade fly out of his hands. Zux's eyes widened in surprise and jumped back before Harry could grab the clothed sword.

Harry groaned in annoyance when his hand grazed the cloth before Zux got out of the way. Zux sprinted forward while Harry was still unarmed and Harry hastily drew the two daggers that he kept strapped on each side. He blocked Zux's blade with one blade and took a swing at Zux with the other. With a flick of his finger, Zux sent the dagger in Harry's hand flying.

With only one short dagger available, Zux easily pushed Harry to his knees. Zux pointed out his hand at Harry's and Harry knew that Zux was preparing to send a goblin stunner at him which would cost Harry the duel. Before Zux could attack, Harry held out his free hand and summoned the dagger back to his hand and swiped it at Zux. The goblin pulled his hand back, but not before the dagger grazed his hand. Cursing, the goblin leapt back and shook his hand, splattering the floor with blood.

Without waiting, Harry darted forward, keeping low and making sure that his weight was balanced in the back. Zux quickly held his hand up to push Harry back, but Harry used the same trick that Zux had used on him months ago. He leapt to the side and sprinted behind the goblin and began to bring the daggers down.

Zux spun around and blocked one dagger and caught the other in his wounded hand. Harry's hands widened in surprise and quickly felt the dagger that Zux had a hold of, fly out of his hand again. Cursing under his breath, Harry drew back and summoned his sword and dagger back with a flick of his hand.

Then, Harry suddenly realized something and he berated himself for being so stupid. He leapt away from Zux and sheathed all of his weapons. The goblin raised his eyebrow at first before he smiled slightly. Before Zux could charge at Harry, Harry raised his hand and effortlessly summoned the bundled sword off of Zux's belt.

While the sword flew towards him, the cloth fell off and Harry ended up catching a beautiful metal sheath with the sword hilt sticking out. With trembling fingers, Harry drew the sword and instantly felt a connection with it that he had only before felt with a wand. It was the same design as a samurai sword, but this one was thicker and more reinforced while still retaining the light and fast design that his first samurai sword had. The sword was spotless and looked sharp enough to cut through a hair just by placing the hair on the blade. There were runes molded into the bottom of the sword towards the hilt and Harry recognized the rune for 'protection'. Next to the runes was also a small design. It was a sword and bow crossing over a shield.

"It's beautiful," Harry breathed.

"And it's yours."

Zux walked up to Harry looking extremely pleased. "Congratulations Newbie, you've passed."

Harry suddenly felt irritated with the goblin. "All I had to do was summon the sword from the beginning? I could have passed in five seconds?"

Zux laughed and picked up the cloth that had covered the sword. "This test is meant to make you think on your feet. Summoning was only one way, but it was the only way that you would have passed."

Harry scowled. "You're saying that I would've failed if I hadn't realized?"

"Yes," Zux said bluntly. "You're good Newbie, but no one who faced me for their test has ever passed without summoning."

"Newbie? I thought that you said you would stop calling me that if I passed!" Harry whined.

Zux laughed and shrugged. "Sorry, but you'll always be 'Newbie' to me."

Harry suppressed the urge to groan, and bowed low to Zux. "Thank you so much for everything Master. I would have never been able to do it without you."

Zux smiled and sheathed his sword. "That sword has my insignia on is. Now anyone that you defeat with that blade will know that Zux Greatkiller took you on as an apprentice and found you worthy of being a goblin warrior."

"Thank you Master," Harry said sincerely.

Zux looked incredibly proud as he stepped back. "From now on your goblin warrior name shall be Harry Lightscar, for even though you are scarred, you remain a warrior of the Light and a friend to the goblins."

Harry stood up and smiled. "Thank you Master," Harry repeated. "I hope to make you proud."

"You already have," Zux replied.

The next thing Harry saw was a wave of hair and fur as Hermione practically tackled Harry when she hugged him. Kex climbed agilely up Harry's clothes and was squealing in excitement while Ivy ran in between his legs excitedly.

Harry felt like his smile would tear his face when Hermione told him over and over how proud she was. In fact, it felt better than it had when Zux said the same thing.

He pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "thank you."

They both blushed and pulled away. Hermione picked up Ivy before someone stepped on her and hugged the fennec fox close. "This was all you Harry. I had nothing to do with it."

Harry shook his head. "You're wrong Hermione; you did have something to do with it. You gave me something worth fighting for."

Hermione blushed like mad and she struggled to say something.

Zux cleared his throat, snapping the two out of their daze. He held the cloth up to Harry who looked confused. "This cloth is just as valuable as your sword. I asked Dobby to get it when I sent him with your sword descriptions to Ragnok. This cloth will protect anything that it covers and so long as a piece of it covers something, muggles will not be able to see it. I thought that this cloth would be very useful for your familiars."

Hermione suddenly looked excited. "That's great! Then we won't have to hide them when we go to King's Cross. I bet that Winky could do something great with that."

Zux nodded in agreement and handed the cloth to Hermione. Then he turned to Harry and suddenly looked very sad. "I'm sorry to say Newbie that this concludes our time together. I have received a summons from Ragnok and I must leave immediately." He dug his hand in his tunic and pulled out a small piece of parchment. He gave it to Harry and smiled. "That is the goblin part of the prophecy just like I promised. Now it is time for me to leave."

Harry looked confused at first, like he couldn't understand not seeing Zux every day. Then he dropped to the floor and pulled Zux into a hug. The goblin looked surprised at first before he hugged Harry back.

They stayed like that for a moment before Zux pulled away and straightened his tunic a little uncomfortably. "My belongings have already been sent back to Gringotts. If you ever need to talk to me, simply contact Ragnok and I will get the message." He turned to Hermione and gave her an apologetic look. "As you already know, you cannot receive the title of goblin warrior because you are a female. But, Harry will be able to finish teaching you. I hope that you are not upset at this."

Hermione smiled somewhat bitterly and hugged Zux as well. "Even if I'm not technically a warrior, I'll still have the skills and that's what matters. Thank you for your teachings and for the bow."

Zux looked embarrassed and he pulled away. He was not one for goodbyes and this one was getting too emotional for him. He looked at Harry and Hermione, gave them a true smile and apparated away. His work there was done, and now it was up to Harry to continue on from there.

* * *

Harry sat on the edge of the lake in the pool room with the rolled up prophecy in his hands. As soon as Zux had left, everything that had happened felt real to Harry, and he didn't know if he was ready for all of the responsibility that was now on his shoulders. Harry felt so overwhelmed that he couldn't even celebrate that he had passed his test; instead he announced that he needed some time alone and headed to the pool.

He clutched the prophecy tightly in his hand. Even though Ragnok had assured him that Trelawney's prophecy was false, he had a bad feeling about the one in his hand.

Finally with trembling hands, Harry opened the missing part of the prophecy that had been hidden from him for so long.

_**The Spiritual Heirs shall unite the magical world**_

_**Each Heir from a different species**_

_**Gryffindor shall represent the goblins**_

_**Ravenclaw the fairies**_

_**Hufflepuff the centaurs**_

_**And Slytherin the elves**_

_**They shall be trained by the species' magic**_

_**And they will bring the other races together**_

_**The bridges between the shall be restored**_

_**And so shall the bridge that was burned so long ago between the lion and the snake**_

_**Only when these bridges restore**_

_**Shall peace fill the land**_

Harry read through the piece of parchment multiple times, each time filling him with a greater sense of dread.

"So the Gryffindor Heir will be trained by the goblins," Harry whispered to himself. "Am I the Spiritual Heir to Gryffindor? How can I be released from one prophecy only to be caught by another?"

He sat by the pool, stewing in his thoughts when he heard the door open slowly. Without even turning around he knew who was checking up on him.

"I'm okay Hermione," he said. "I just realized everything that I have to do all at once. It was a bit alarming."

Harry heard Hermione chuckle slightly as she walked up to him. She sat down next to him and pulled her knees to her chest. They didn't say anything for a few moments; they just sat there enjoying each other's company.

"I think I'm the Spiritual Heir of Gryffindor," Harry blurted out after he couldn't hold it in any longer.

Hermione looked a little surprised at this, but didn't scold him for being stupid. "Because of what Zux gave you?"

Harry nodded and handed the prophecy over to Hermione. She read through it quickly before she sighed and handed it back to Harry.

"You think that because you were trained by Zux you're an heir," Hermione said simply. "But Harry, it is possible that it isn't you. Prophecies like these are set in motion through tragedy, and it's true that losing Sirius was a tragedy, but you haven't received Gryffindor's magic."

Harry looked at Hermione strangely. "The prophecy mentioned the Founder's magic, but nothing about Gryffindor's magic."

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to face Harry. "Honestly, I hope that you pay more attention in History of Magic this year. The Founder's magic is made up of the four individual magic's of each founder. When they say that the 'Founder's magic shall return' they mean that the four Spiritual Heirs shall combine their magic to create it."

Harry started to understand. "So what is Gryffindor's magic?"

"I have no clue," Hermione admitted. "Godric Gryffindor was known for powerful magic that he used to lead others into battle. I don't know exactly what Gryffindor's magic is, but I'd imagine that we'd know if you had it."

Harry felt somewhat comforted. "So you're saying that it might not be me?"

"Exactly," Hermione said with a smile. Suddenly, Hermione stood up and offered Harry a hand. "Now come on, Winky worked hard to make you a great meal to celebrate and you aren't wasting it in here."

Harry smiled and took the offered hand and stood up. As soon as their hands connected he felt another spark. Looking at Hermione he realized that she felt it too because she was beginning to blush.

Hermione suddenly yanked her hand out of Harry's and quickly left the room. She paused by the door and looked at Harry with wide, confused eyes before she left, leaving a very confused Harry behind.

* * *

The day after Harry had passed his test; he deactivated the time compression rune and made a quick appearance to the Dursleys. They hadn't been exactly pleased when they saw Harry again, but he remained civil. By Hermione's suggestion, he made an appearance outside of the Dursley's so that any Order member could see that he was fine, if not paler and in more physical shape than they remembered. It was the first time that Harry been outside in months and he hadn't realized just how much he missed it.

After Harry made his appearance, he went back into the trunk to meet up with Hermione who was getting ready for their outing.

Hermione was in the training room stuffing some muggle writing notebooks and pens in her satchel with the two familiars when Harry came in. As soon as she saw him, she blushed slightly. Their little spark yesterday had left them both feeling slightly awkward around each other.

"Are you ready to go?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded and picked up Ivy while Kex climbed up Harry. "I am I just hope that they will be able to talk to us, we didn't exactly give them a heads up."

Harry shrugged and made a move to grab Hermione's hand. Hermione inched back slightly before she began blushing again furiously and gave Harry her hand. Without saying a word to each other, Hermione apparated them out of the trunk.

They landed on a hilltop underneath a large tree somewhere along the coast of England. In front of them was a large field, but there were no buildings or any form of life in sight. In fact the closest town was almost thirty minutes away.

Harry frowned slightly and he looked all around for some sign of life. "Are you sure that this is the right place Mione'?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and took out her old wand. "I'm sure that this is the place, but it seems that we're on the outside of some powerful protection charms. I wouldn't be surprised if their house was under the Fidelius charm."

Harry suddenly got very irritable. "How are we supposed to talk to them when we can't see their house?"

"Calm down Harry," Hermione snapped. "I have an idea."

Harry immediately calmed down and took Ivy in his arms when Hermione handed her to him. Once her arms were free, Hermione held her old wand up and closed her eyes in thought for a moment.

Suddenly, Hermione opened her eyes and said, "_Expecto_ _Patronum_!"

Her brilliant silver otter burst from her wand and floated in front of her. The otter wound itself around Hermione affectionately, making Hermione giggle and Ivy growl. Hermione looked at Ivy for a second before turning back to her patronus who was waiting patiently.

"Neville, we need to talk to you its important. We're on the hill underneath the tree that you told me about."

As soon as Hermione finished talking, the otter flew away and disappeared right in front of them. Hermione took back Ivy and laughed at Harry and Kex's confused expressions.

"Patronus' are very useful for sending messages," Hermione said. "They can't be compromised and they can't be mimicked. But they do take quite a bit of energy and concentration."

Harry looked intrigued by the idea. "You'll have to show me how to do that later. So you knew where to go because Neville told you about this tree?"

Hermione nodded. "He told me that this is his favorite place to think. He even showed me a picture. Thanks to Winky's apparition training I was able to take us here with just the picture in my mind."

They waited for a while and Harry was beginning to wonder if Hermione's patronus had gotten to Neville. Before Harry could ask Hermione to send another one there was a faint 'pop' and Harry sensed a pair of wands being pointed at him.

Harry and Hermione turned around and raised their hands. They both smiled when they saw Neville and his grandmother pointing their wands at them.

Neville quickly looked between the two. "How did we get to London on the night when we broke into the ministry?"

"We rode on thestrals," Harry answered immediately. "You, I and Luna were the only ones who could see them and we had to help Hermione, Ron and Ginny get on."

Neville instantly lowered his wand and smiled wide. "Sorry about that, can't be too careful."

Harry waved off Neville's apology and returned the smile. "I completely understand." Turning to Neville's grandmother he smiled and bowed his head politely. "Hello Mrs. Longbottom, how are you this fine day?"

Mrs. Longbottom looked at Harry with a critical eye before she gave him a knowing smirk. "So you wished to speak to my grandson Lord Potter-Black?"

Neville instantly gaped at Harry. "You're a Lord of two houses?"

Harry looked around nervously, afraid that someone might have heard. "I am, and that's why I wanted to talk to you guys. I have no clue how some things work and I was hoping that you would help me."

Mrs. Longbottom looked intrigued. "It is important to form friendships between the Ancient houses. Very well, I will grant you passage into my home and we will further discuss this."

She quickly told Harry and Hermione the address and out of nowhere a large mansion materialized right on the edge of the cliff.

The mansion looked to be about three stories tall. There was a gate that stood thirty feet in front of the mansion that was connected to a stone wall that stood ten feet tall and went around the entire property. On the side of the house Harry noticed that there were three greenhouses and Harry was confident to say that they were all used pretty frequently.

Mrs. Longbottom led the way into the house. She didn't even pause in the house to let Harry and Hermione get a good look around. She was all business. She led the way into a decent sized study and took a seat in a comfortable-looking armchair behind her desk. Following her example, Harry and Hermione sat down as well in front of her. Mrs. Longbottom looked at Neville expectantly, but Neville was occupied with staring at Kex and Ivy who were examining their new surroundings.

"Will you join us Neville?" Mrs. Longbottom asked a little forcefully.

Neville blinked and looked at his grandmother. "I'll be right back Gran, I need to get something."

"Then tell Tippy to bring us some refreshments while you're out," she snapped.

Neville flinched a little at her tone and scurried out of the room quickly.

When the door closed behind him, Augusta Longbottom looked affectionately where her grandson had disappeared to before turning to Harry and Hermione. "I want to thank you Lord Potter-Black and you too Ms. Granger. The two of you have helped my grandson a sense of confidence and purpose that he had never had before. I know that the two of you have helped him with this, and that is why I will help you in any way that I can."

Harry fidgeted uncomfortably. "Neville only needed the opportunity, that's all I gave him. The rest was completely him."

Augusta looked proud and sat taller. "He is his father's son. So tell me Lord Potter-Black, why do you not wear your rings?"

Harry grinned sheepishly and pulled the rings out of his shirt. "I, Lord Potter-Black, do hereby give permission for Augusta Longbottom to see the rings of the Ancient Houses of Potter and Black."

Augusta immediately saw the rings and smirked. "A goblin concealing chain huh? Very handy. But that does not answer my question of why you do not wear your rings."

"I do not want them to be seen just yet," Harry told her. "Not until I am confident with my responsibilities and how the Wizengamot works. I also don't want to put up with the comments just yet. Don't worry Mrs. Longbottom, I'm not ashamed of them and I plan on making a formal announcement."

Augusta nodded approvingly. "So you wish for me to teach you. Are you aware that I do not know the specifics of the Black and Potter houses?"

Harry nodded and looked over to Hermione who had her notebook out and looked ready to start taking notes. "I know that you can't help me with my houses, but I believe that you can help me with a lot more."

There was a light knock on the door before Augusta could respond. Augusta called out 'enter' and the door opened to reveal a tiny elf carrying a tray that looked bigger than she did. The timid-looking elf put the tray on the table and left with a deep bow. Harry looked at Hermione out of the corner of his eye and saw that her eyes were narrowed disapprovingly at the house elf's appearance. Compared to how Dobby and Winky looked, this house elf looked so small and frail and frightened.

"Would Mistress Longbottom like anything else?" the small house-elf asked in a high pitched voice.

Augusta looked at Tippy and shook her head. "That is all Tippy."

Tippy bowed low and quickly exited the room. Before the door could shut, Neville poked his head in, looking very excited.

"Oh Harry, I forgot to thank you," he said cheerfully.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Thank me for what?"

Neville laughed and opened the door all the way. In his arms was a small, light-brown pup. The pup was the size of a small pillow with paws that looked out of proportion with the rest of him. It had more of a short and stocky build, but it was hard to tell if it would follow the pup to adulthood. The pup saw Ivy and Kex and instantly began wagging his tail excitedly.

"Neville," Hermione gasped.

"Is that?" Harry continued.

Neville beamed and held the pup up a little higher. "Yup, this is my familiar, Sage the wolf."

* * *

A/N- I completely agree that a wolf would be a bad choice for Harry, Neville on the other hand…Review! - Phoenix


	9. Sage and Fay

A/N- Okay, a lot of people have been complaining that Hermione seems out of character compared to how she is portrayed in the books. In response I have this to say: of course she's out of character! The girl's family has been killed; she was tortured and nearly killed herself. She's not going to be the same after that. Don't worry, she'll be the Hermione we all know and love eventually.

* * *

Harry stared at Neville, stunned for a few moments before he managed to clear his throat. "That's great Neville! I'm so glad that you're my true friend. But, why didn't you respond to the letter that was attached?"

Neville walked over and sat down in a chair to join them. He had Sage on his lap and he kept scratching the wolf under his chin. The little wolf pup wagged his tail in delight and soon began chewing Neville's shirt.

"I'm sorry that I didn't respond Harry," Neville said honestly. "But Gran and I haven't been comfortable using the post lately. We've been using the Floo to communicate, but you aren't hooked up to the Network. I really did want to respond, but then when Sage hatched a couple days ago my hands got real full."

Harry nodded in understanding, making Kex squeal indignantly. "I'm happy that you got one of the eggs Neville. A lot of things have happened lately, and the familiar eggs only got sent to those who are truly my friends."

Neville looked at Harry with a confused expression. He seemed to study Harry for a minute before he shrugged and leaned back into his chair. "I'm all ears, so what happened to you?"

They spend the better part of the next hour going over Harry's tale. Neville and Augusta were surprised when they heard about the fake prophecy, and the fact that it could have meant Neville instead of Harry. When they learned about the marriage contract Augusta had been torn between livid and confused about why Dumbledore would do such a thing.

Harry didn't go into detail about his time in the trunk. He only said that he had been training and was now training Hermione as well. Harry told the story of the attack on Hermione's house when Hermione couldn't bring herself to. Augusta raised an eyebrow when Harry said that Hermione was living with him and that under no circumstances was anyone to know until they had a way to make sure that Dumbledore wouldn't take her away.

"Why don't you take her as your ward?" Augusta asked. "As a Lord, if you take in a ward then you are effectively their magical guardian. Dumbledore would be a fool to try to take her away then."

Harry and Hermione exchanged startled glances. "I hadn't thought about that," Harry admitted. "What do I have to do to take her as my ward?"

Augusta looked very amused at this. "You really must need my help if you do not know how to take on a ward. By doing so you are taking responsibility for her well-being and you will take responsibility should Ms. Granger go rogue and do something illegal."

Hermione looked slightly offended and Harry laughed. "You hear that Hermione? You can't go breaking into the ministry anymore."

Hermione rolled her eyes and gave Harry a small smile. "You do know that when it gets out that I'm your ward there will be a field day at the Prophet right?"

Harry shrugged indifferently and smirked. "Since when did I care about the Prophet?"

"As a Lord of two Houses you would have a lot of power over the Prophet," Hermione murmured to herself.

Augusta watched the exchange with an amused expression. "But you need to know," she warned. "Because Ms. Granger is muggleborn, Dumbledore is her magical guardian. When you accept her as your ward, Dumbledore will be notified."

They hadn't expected that. "But then Dumbledore will know about my parents," Hermione gasped. "And then he'll come and check on me. He'll find out about the attack, and the only way that I'll be able to remain with Harry is if he reveals that he's now Lord Potter-Black."

Augusta nodded in confirmation. "You are correct. Perhaps you should hold off on becoming Lord Potter-Black's ward until it is desperately necessary."

"How do I accept her as my ward?" Harry asked again.

"Pretty much the same oath you would use to employ an elf," Augusta said impassively. "Now, on to business. Teaching you about the ways of the Wizengamot and other Lord responsibilities will be very time consuming. I am prepared to teach you, but I must ask for something in return."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Of course, what can I do for you?"

Augusta looked at Neville pointedly. "I would like you to continue training Neville. You said that you are already training Ms. Granger, and I would like it if you took on Neville as well. I'm asking you to give my grandson a fighting chance in this war."

"Of course I'll train Neville," Harry grinned. "Even if you didn't teach me I would train Neville. We could train Neville then I could have my lessons with you. Is there a more convenient time for us to come?"

"How about this," Augusta said. "You come here to work with Neville in the mornings; we'll even feed you, and in the afternoons I will teach you and Ms. Granger can continue with Neville."

Harry nodded happily. "That sounds perfect. What time tomorrow morning?"

Augusta adjusted her hat before digging through her desk. "I believe 9 will suffice. You may apparate right into the foyer in the morning. Now, I will inform the house elves that we will be having guests every day and what we will require. How long will you be able to come and train Neville?"

"For the rest of summer I guess," Harry said thoughtfully. "I don't really want to spend the rest of summer with the Weasleys, but I don't know how I'm going to tell Dumbledore without him knowing something's up."

Augusta chuckled and pulled out a piece of parchment along with a quill and ink. "I'll write to dear Dumbledore and inform him that Neville has invited you over after your birthday to help him with one of his projects. This way you can spend your birthday at the Weasley's and come over here after. If we start this now, then we can get a little under two months worth of lessons out of the way."

Hermione began chewing her lip in thought while Harry and Augusta discussed details. _Two months of training won't be long enough, _she thought. _We need more time and we need to find the last egg._

Ivy looked up at Hermione with a confused expression. "_What are you thinking?"_

"We need more time," Hermione mumbled back. "Tell Kex."

Ivy nodded and barked the message over to Kex who nodded in confirmation and pressed his muzzle against Harry's ear.

"_Hermione says that we need more time_," he whispered. "_I think she wants you to tell them about the time rune_."

Harry looked over at Hermione hesitantly. She nodded in encouragement and Harry turned his attention back to Augusta and Neville. "We don't think that two months will be enough time to train Neville." Neville slumped slightly, looking crestfallen, but Harry quickly gave him a reassuring smile. "It's not that we don't think you can't do it," he assured him. "It's that there's a lot to do."

Their fellow Gryffindor nodded in understanding. "So how are we supposed to get more time?"

"I inherited my mother's trunk when I got my titles," Harry explained. "The trunk has an apartment inside and a time compression rune. When activated, a day out here equals a month in the trunk. I've been training for seven months and Hermione has been training for a little over three. What if after my birthday we activate the rune and Neville can come and continue training with us in the trunk."

Augusta smiled eagerly. "If you stay in your trunk for three weeks then Neville will get close to two years worth of training." She turned to Neville who still seemed stunned. "It's your decision Neville. Do you want to train with them?"

Neville looked down at Sage who began yipping enthusiastically, making Neville smile. "Yeah, I do."

Hermione began writing in her notebook like mad. "The rune should be recharged by Harry's birthday. But Harry, there's still one thing that we should do. If Neville didn't respond to your letter because the Post is compromised, isn't it possible that the owner of the last familiar egg did the same thing?"

"There's a third egg?" Neville asked Sage who nodded.

"How do you propose we find out Hermione?" Harry asked. "Do you want me to go to every person who I know and ask if they got an egg?"

Hermione scowled and bit her lip in thought. "You said that only your true friends got them. Neville and I got one…could the last egg be with another Gryffindor? I know that Ron or Ginny or any other Weasley didn't get it because I was at their house when I got Ivy. Are you close with anyone else in our house?"

Harry shook his head immediately. "After last year? No way. Nobody believed me, and they all thought I was a nutter. The only ones who stuck by me were you two and most of the Weasleys."

"And Luna," Neville said suddenly. He looked excited and he stood up, nearly knocking Sage on the floor. "What about Luna? She fought with us in the ministry, she couldn't care less about Harry's fame and she's always been supportive in her own…weird way."

Harry looked doubtful. "But I've only known her for a year."

Hermione seemed more thoughtful. "It's possible. Do you know if Luna's house is hooked up to the Floo, or if she's even home?"

Neville kept getting steadily more excited. "She told me that she was spending the summer at home. I've been talking to her every now and then."

Hermione nodded absent-mindedly began petting Ivy. "We should give it a shot then." She turned to Harry who still looked skeptical. "Oh come on Harry. I know that Luna is a bit…well unique. But, she followed you and fought for you. You should at least give her a call just to make sure."

Harry looked between Neville and Hermione before nodding. "It couldn't hurt to call," he agreed.

He was allowed to use Augusta's private Floo network which was located in the study. He watched while Augusta got the fire going and took a small handful of Floo Powder from the jar that was sitting next on the desk.

When the fire was prepared, Augusta stepped back and let Harry lean forward. He called out Luna's name and threw the powder in the fire before he stuck his head in the emerald flames.

Even though he had never been to Luna's house before, he could tell that this was her home. There was what looked like a printing press in the corner with copies of the magazine The Quibbler flying out before neatly stacking. Harry could make out a variety of odd objects that were scattered around the room, but he had no idea what they were.

"Um, Luna Lovegood?" Harry called out tentatively.

There was a faint crash somewhere in the next room. Harry turned to the direction of the noise and waited patiently for someone to come into the room where he was waiting.

He didn't have to wait long. Shortly after the crash a tall man with blond hair and the same eyes as Luna, poked his head into the room. Harry could tell that this was Luna's father just by looking at him. There was ink on the man's yellow robes and he had a somewhat exasperated expression on his face.

"Excuse me sir," Harry said politely. "I'm looking for Luna, is she here?"

The man's eyes drifted to Harry's scar and he smiled. "She is here Mister Potter. I will go fetch her for you."

"Thank you Mister Lovegood."

Mister Lovegood smiled and he disappeared again. Harry waited for a few more minutes and he felt his knees start to ache.

Just when Harry felt his knees begin to grow numb, he heard a door close and a soft screech echo through the house. Less than a few moments later, Luna came skipping into the room.

"Why hello Harry," she said in her dream-like voice. "You look well."

"Um thank you Luna," Harry responded. "I was wondering if you had gotten something from me a week ago," he continued hesitantly.

Luna smiled and crouched down in front of the fire. "Oh you mean the familiar egg? I have been meaning to respond to your letter, but the nargles keep making me forget."

Harry gasped in surprise and choked on a mouthful of ash. "You got the last egg?"

Luna nodded dug her hand into her pocket. There was another small screech and Luna pulled out a tiny light gray ball of fluff. "This is Fay; she hatched a couple of days ago."

"What is she?" Harry asked.

Judging by the small, stubby wings, Harry concluded that Fay was a bird. Fay's beak was a yellowish-black and was longer than an owl's, her talons were black and still looked rather dull, but it were her eyes that Harry noticed more. The little bird's eyes were the exact same shade of silvery-gray as Luna's, and they seemed to retain the same curious expression that Luna's always had.

Luna put Fay back in her pocket. "Fay is a peregrine falcon. I was hoping that she would be a crumpled horned snorkack, but a falcon is nice too."

Fay poked her head out of Luna's pocket and chirped something that Harry couldn't understand.

"Why did you name her Fay?" Harry asked curiously.

"Fay is a typical fairy name," Luna said simply. "Nothing else seemed to fit her. So what is your familiar?"

Harry grinned; leave it to Luna to get right to the point. "His name is Kex, he's a pine marten."

Luna nodded like she was only partially listening. "And what about Hermione and Neville?"

"How did you know they got the other eggs?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"Fay told me that there were three other eggs, and I knew that you got one of them. Plus I identified the charm that sent me Fay's egg as a type of Loyalty Charm, quite an impressive piece of spell work."

Harry laughed and began to feel the rush of warmth that he assorted with knowing who your real friends were. "I'd like to talk to you in person if I can. Right now I'm at Longbottom Manor with Hermione and Neville, do you think you could come over so I can talk to you in person."

Luna nodded and smiled. "I do imagine that you are awfully uncomfortable."

"I am," Harry admitted. "Let me just check with Mrs. Longbottom to make sure that it's okay, I'll have Hermione send you a patronus message when it's clear."

When Luna nodded again, Harry pulled his head out of the fireplace and stood up to brush the ash off of his robes.

"Would it be alright if Luna came over so we could talk to her as well?" Harry asked Augusta.

Augusta smirked knowingly towards her grandson and nodded. "Are you going to offer to train her along with Neville?"

"Of course," Harry said immediately. He turned to Hermione and Neville and gave them a big smile. "Luna got the last egg."

Neville's smile, if possible, got even bigger. "That's great Harry! Now all the eggs will be reunited."

Sage yipped happily from his spot on Neville's chair. Neville suddenly blushed and turned to face Sage.

"No she's not!" he stuttered embarrassedly to the grinning wolf pup.

"'She's not' what Neville?" Augusta teased.

Neville blushed even harder and mumbled a soft 'nothing'.

Harry laughed and turned to Hermione. "Could you send Luna a patronus message?"

Hermione nodded and sent another patronus message to Luna. They waited for a couple of minutes until a familiar emerald flame erupted in the fireplace and Luna stepped out without appearing phased by the trip at all.

"Hello everyone," she said happily when she brushed off the ash from her robes. She walked right over and took an empty seat next to Neville who was still beaming. "Is this your familiar Neville?" she asked while she gently scratched Sage behind his ears.

"Yup," Neville said happily. "This is Sage. Where's your familiar Luna?"

Luna smiled and pulled Fay out of her pocket. "This is Fay, she's a peregrine falcon. She's still too small to keep her balance on my shoulder so she's staying in my pocket until she's bigger." Fay nodded in agreement and jumped into Luna's lap where she made herself Fay was comfortable, Luna turned to Hermione and smiled at Ivy. "So your familiar is a fox? That's fitting."

Ivy and Hermione exchanged a glance, unsure whether or not they should be offended by that comment. "This is Ivy," Hermione introduced. Ivy barked in greeting and Fay screeched in return.

"Why did you name her Ivy?" Luna asked.

Hermione smiled fondly at Ivy who sat taller in pride. "One of Harry's house elves, Winky, she saved my life and I wanted to thank her. So when Ivy hatched, I named her after Winky's mother."

Luna and Fay exchanged a quick glance. "That was very sweet of you," Luna said softly.

While the four friends quickly caught up and Harry explained to Luna everything that had been happening, Augusta summoned Tippy and sent her for more refreshments.

Harry took another sip of water and looked at Luna and Neville with a serious expression. "I want to train you guys, but you need to know that it'll be hard and you won't see your families for a long time when we go in the trunk."

Luna looked a little sad, but shook her head. "Daddy would be able to manage for himself for three weeks. I'll be sad to not see him for so long, but this is an opportunity that I can pass up."

Harry looked at Neville who had his hands balled into fists. "I'm going to keep training until I take out Bellatrix Lestrange. I don't want her to tear apart another family ever again."

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Augusta quickly wipe away a tear. Harry turned his attention back to Neville and Luna. "Okay, here's the plan then. Until my birthday, Hermione and I will apparate here in the morning at 9 to train. In the afternoon, I'll work with Mrs. Longbottom and Hermione can keep working with you guys. After my birthday, we'll go into the trunk for three weeks and continue training."

Hermione suddenly looked a little anxious. "The only thing that we're worried about is Dumbledore trying to stop you Harry from spending those three weeks with Neville."

Augusta scoffed and finished her letter to Dumbledore. "Don't worry; let me take care of Dumbledore. Even he knows better than to argue with the head of an Ancient House. I may not be a Lord, but I'm still governing all Longbottom affairs until Neville comes of age and I hold a considerable amount of power."

Hermione didn't look completely reassured, but she didn't say anything else. Instead she turned to Luna who was beginning to hum 'Weasley is out king'. "So will you join us Luna?"

Luna turned her attention towards Hermione and nodded. "Oh yes, Fay and I will join you. Would it be acceptable if we Floo here Mrs. Longbottom?"

Augusta nodded but didn't say anything.

Harry felt Kex crawl down his front and curl up in Harry's lap. Neville and Luna looked between Kex and Ivy before they looked back at their own familiars.

"Is the reason why Kex and Ivy fully grown because of the time rune?" Luna asked interestedly.

"Yes," Harry responded. "It took them about two weeks to catch up to us."

Hermione suddenly looked excited like she had pieced together a puzzle. "They must have all hatched at the same time," she said excitedly. "Because Sage and Fay only look like they're a few days old, and Ivy and Kex are a few months old. Ivy and Kex hatched at the same time, so why not Sage and Fay? That means that our familiars are bonded to each other as well as ourselves. Ivy and Kex would still be babies, but because of the time rune they hatched months ago so they finished growing."

Luna nodded in understanding. "Maybe you will be able to start flying by next week," she told Fay. Fay chirped excitedly and flapped her stubby wings a couple of times. "She says that she can't wait," Luna translated.

The four friends laughed and talked while Augusta sent Tippy with the letter to Dumbledore. None of them wanted to speak to Dumbledore, but the details had to be taken care of.

Less than a couple minutes later, there was a bright flash above Augusta's desk and Fawkes the phoenix flew elegantly around the room. He dropped the letter on the desk and perched on Harry's chair.

"Hi Fawkes, how are ya doing?" Harry asked.

The phoenix let out a soft note, but he looked sad and tired. Judging by the color of his feathers, Fawkes didn't seem to be approaching a burning day, but they still seemed very dull. The phoenix's eyes were dull as well, as if they were terribly tired.

Harry opened his mouth to console the phoenix when Augusta gave a shout of anger and slam the letter down on the desk.

"He's trying to order me to rescind the invitation," she yelled.

Harry glared at the letter and quickly grabbed it to read for himself.

_Dear Mrs. Longbottom,_

_I am afraid that I must encourage you to rescind the invitation that you have given Harry, which was without my permission. Harry is safe at his home and the Weasley's home is guarded as well. I am afraid that your home will not provide sufficient protection for young Harry. If Harry stays with you, then there is the possibility that Voldemort will attack your home, and you wouldn't want your grandson to possibly get injured would you? Harry will be spending the remainder of the holiday after his birthday with the Weasley's. I am disappointed that you did not discuss this with me before contacting Harry. He would surely prefer spending the holidays with his best friend anyway._

_Please do not make any plans for Harry again without first consulting me,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Harry felt the letter shake in his hands, he was so angry. He looked up at Fawkes accusingly, but the phoenix sighed and seemed to lose even more color in his feathers.

"You aren't happy with Dumbledore either are you Fawkes?" Harry asked softly.

Fawkes hesitated for a moment before shaking his head slowly. He chirped softly and sadly.

Luna was watching the phoenix with a mildly surprised expression on her face. "What do you mean that he has plans for Harry?"

Everyone, except Fay, looked at Luna in surprise. Hermione seemed to find her voice first, although it came out more like a stutter. "Luna, did you just understand what Fawkes said?"

"Yes," Luna responded, just as surprised as everyone else. "I've always understood animals fairly well, but I've never understood them as clearly as I just did with Fawkes."

Harry looked to Hermione worriedly. "You okay Hermione? You're looking a little pale."

Hermione looked at Harry and seemed to hesitate before nodding. "I'm fine, I'm just thinking."

Harry frowned but didn't press on. "So what should we respond?" he asked Augusta.

The older witch was already writing something on a new piece of parchment. "I am merely responding that Albus has no right to say where you can and cannot physically stay. A magical guardian only has influence over matters including magic. This is simply a matter of where you are spending the rest of your summer. In order to make this effective though Lord Potter-Black, you will need to go get written consent from your aunt or uncle to stay here."

Harry nodded and put Kex down on his chair while he stood up. "I'll go get that now, Petunia should be home and she'll sign anything that'll get me out of the house." He gave everyone a sarcastically cheerful grin and apparated away.

As soon as Harry was gone, Kex leapt over to Hermione and climbed on her shoulder while Neville and Luna gaped at where Harry had just vanished.

"Did Harry just apparate?" Neville asked in disbelief.

Hermione nodded and sat back in her chair comfortably. "That wasn't wizard apparition though."

"That was goblin apparition," Luna answered for her.

Neville still looked stunned. "Where did Harry learn goblin apparition?"

Hermione fidgeted somewhat uncomfortably. "That's really for Harry to tell."

They waited patiently for Harry, who returned five minutes later holding an old piece of parchment looking rather pleased with himself.

He handed the parchment to Augusta and sat back down in his chair. He laughed when Kex leapt back at him and climbed back on his shoulder. "Petunia was more than willing to sign the thing if it got me out of her house."

While Harry looked happy with the statement, Hermione looked furious. "I can't believe how they treat you Harry! They are so terrible, how could anyone put a child in their care?"

Harry looked uncomfortable at Hermione's sudden outburst. "It's okay Mione'," he assured her. "They may be my family in blood, but that doesn't mean anything to me. Don't worry about the Dursleys; they aren't worth getting upset over."

Hermione still looked angry, but she didn't say anything else.

"Anyway," Augusta said, breaking the silence. "I'll kindly respond to Dumbledore telling him that I have written consent from his guardians, and that he has no right to overturn their decision. If he tries anything funny, like possibly modifying their memories, I'll personally take care of it."

She finished writing the letter and rolled it up with a copy of Petunia's consent form. After sealing it, she handed it to Harry who moved to hand the letter to Fawkes.

"Please don't let Dumbledore know that I was here," Harry asked the phoenix. "I don't want him to try anything."

Fawkes nodded in understanding and disappeared in another flash of light.

When the light cleared, Harry turned to Neville and Luna. "We can start training tomorrow, but there's one condition before we start."

"What is it Harry?" Neville asked.

Harry stood up and gave his other two, true friends a sly grin. "We have to make a quick shopping trip, and it's my treat."

* * *

A/N- I know that this chapter is shorter than the others, but oh well! Does anyone have any suggestions for cores for Neville and Luna? They can't be traditional wand cores. – Phoenix


	10. Promises

A/N- Those were good core suggestions, but I didn't want to use cores from the magical creatures that are included in the prophecy. **shiro-chan x bed-wetter-momo**, I used one of your creatures, but I chose a different part. Thanks for the idea!

* * *

The four friends left Knockturn Alley later that day with two new wands for Neville and Luna. Because Harry had finished his goblin training, he was able to apparate all of his friends in front of the store without any problems.

Neville had been chosen by birch wood with an oriental dragon scale. Oriental dragon scales were incredibly rare and had a lot of magical power, but it had to be tapped into. He ended up choosing a piece of azurite for his gem in order to help him focus his power better. Eric told him that his wand told him that Neville had much magical potential, but it had yet to be tapped.

Luna's wand was unique as well. She was chosen by a piece of hazel wood and had chosen a piece of calcite to help her increase her magical power. But, it was her wand core that was the strangest of all.

They were told that in America there was a wand core that was so rare that it hadn't been used in hundreds of years. There was an old legend of a powerful spirit who could navigate through one's dreams, offering advice and guidance and could become corporeal to help those in need. These creatures were incredibly rare and thought to be extinct in America. Eric nearly had a heart attack when the small feather that had been collecting dust in the box for almost forty years had chosen Luna.

Luna had been chosen by a spirit owl feather. Though it didn't have the same magical power as her friend's wands, what it lacked in power it made up for in cunning and stealth. Between the hazel wood, the calcite and the spirit owl feather, Luna had a wand that would make her a force to be reckoned with.

After the wands and holsters had been paid for, Harry and Hermione took Neville and Luna to the trunk to show them around. After they had toured the library and gotten a tutorial on the library directory, Harry showed Neville and Luna where they would be staying after his birthday.

There were two rooms left, but Harry felt a little hesitant about giving away Zux's old room. It felt weird to consider anyone else living in there; Harry hadn't even reversed the magic that shortened all of the furniture in the room.

Hermione sensed Harry's sadness and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He wouldn't want you to board off his old room," she whispered.

Harry nodded in agreement and quickly cleared his throat. "This room isn't ready just yet," he explained to Neville and Luna. "I'll have Dobby and Winky take care of it before we start."

By the time they finished the tour it was getting close to dinner time. Harry took them back to Neville's house where Luna would Floo home.

"I'll see you at 9 tomorrow," Luna said when she grabbed a handful of Floo powder and disappeared in the fireplace.

After bidding farewell to Neville and Augusta, Harry and Hermione apparated back to the trunk separately with their tired familiars in their hands.

When they landed in the training room, they looked at each other for a moment before turning to walk to their rooms. Hermione got to her door first and hesitated in the doorway. Harry saw her hesitate and stopped to wait for her to say something.

After a couple of moments Hermione turned towards him, and Harry was shocked to see that there were tears in her eyes.

"H-Hermione," Harry stuttered uncomfortably. "Are you okay?"

Hermione started to nod before she stopped and shook her head. "I feel terrible Harry, you've been so great to me, and I feel like I've been incredibly rude to you lately. I just want you to know how sorry I am."

Harry smiled sadly and took Hermione's hand in his own. "You've been through a lot; I don't expect you to be over it after a few months. I probably could have done something to make it easier for you though."

"You've done everything," Hermione whispered. She hastily wiped her eyes and opened the door to her room. "I don't like being rude to you Harry, but it's still hard for me sometimes. I'm sorry for refusing to touch you earlier."

"After what you went through its okay," he said instantly. "If there's anything I can do to help name it."

Hermione shook her head and began to enter her room. "Thanks Harry, but this is something that I feel I need to do on my own."

She gave one last apologetic look and stepped into her room. Harry watched sadly while Hermione closed the door and he tiredly walked towards his own room. The next day was going to be busy.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office with his head in his hands while he thought of a way to prevent Harry from going to the Longbottom's after his birthday. After Augusta had sent a reply with Fawkes that contained a consent form from Petunia Dursley, Albus had taken to his office to think of a way to insure that Harry went to the Weasley's. The reason why it was taking him so long to come up with a game plan was because Albus was probably going to need to do something illegal, and modify at least six memories.

He sighed and stood up. "It's for the greater good," he told Fawkes, who was sitting on his perch. "Harry will not be safe at the Longbottom's; I am doing this for him as well."

Fawkes screeched irritably and shook his head.

Without listening to the phoenix, Albus walked over to his fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder. He was about to throw the powder into the fire when there was a knock on his office door. Quickly, he threw the powder back into the pot and sat down behind his desk.

"Come in," he called calmly.

The door opened and Minerva McGonagall stepped. She was wearing her usual green witch's hat, and she was clutching a piece of parchment in her hand.

Albus smiled warmly and leaned back in his chair. "What can I do for you today Minerva?"

Minerva raised an eyebrow at Albus and held out the piece of parchment she was holding. "I just came to inform you that Augusta Longbottom has sent a letter to most of the Order informing them of her plans to have Harry stay with her and Neville after Harry's birthday. She assured us that her house was protected, but wanted to make sure that the Order members knew."

"How many Order members did she inform?" Dumbledore asked angrily.

"I don't know," Minerva replied suspiciously. "Augusta is not an active part of the Order, but she does know who is in it."

Albus gritted his teeth. _I cannot modify_ _half of the Order's memories_, he thought angrily. _Augusta must have suspected that I would do something to assure that Harry follows my plans, but how?_

"Albus?" Minerva asked concernedly. "Are you alright?"

Albus quickly wiped the scowl off of his face and replaced it with a pleasant smile. "Of course Minerva. I will speak with Mrs. Longbottom about some security measures immediately."

Minerva quickly shook her head and passed the parchment to Albus. "I have already inspected the security. It is even better than the protections at the Weasley home."

With hands that were shaking slightly with anger, Albus leaned forward and took the parchment from Minerva's hand.

_Dear Minerva,_

_I am writing to inform you that young Harry Potter will be staying with my grandson and myself after his birthday for the remainder of the summer. I have sent a letter informing a large number of Order members to let them know. If you have the time, would you please come over to my house just to make sure that the protection charms are acceptable, I do not wish to bother Albus with this._

_Thank you,_

_Augusta Longbottom_

Albus looked up from the parchment and glared slightly at Minerva. "Are the protections acceptable?" he asked in a low tone.

Minerva took the parchment back, surprised at Albus' tone. "Yes, the house is under a Fidelius Charm and it has numerous protective wards on it. It's safer than the Weasley home and quite frankly, safer than Grimmauld Place. Harry will be fine there."

"Why was I not informed of this?" Albus demanded.

"I assumed that you knew," Minerva said dryly. "At any rate, the house is secure and there is no reason for Harry to not spend the remainder of the holiday there."

"He would surely prefer the Weasley's," Albus said.

Minerva shrugged stiffly and turned to leave. "Mr. Longbottom is his friend as well Albus. Harry will surely enjoy spending the holiday with him as well."

She didn't wait for a reply. Without a word, she walked out of the room, leaving a seething Albus Dumbledore behind.

* * *

Harry and Hermione had a decent routine going for the next few weeks before Harry's birthday. In the morning they would wake up and be ready by 7, mainly by habit, and they would do some light physical training to warm up. When it reached 9, they would apparate right to the Longbottom Manor and work with Neville and Luna while the familiars watched.

Training with Neville and Luna was enjoyable, but Harry and Hermione didn't have the time to learn anything new themselves. They still had the goblin made weapons that Zux had decided to leave behind. Neville had taken a liking to a broader sword than Harry, but was also quite adept at using a shield as well. Luna worked well with a Chinese sword breaker. A Chinese sword breaker is a thin, yet sturdy sword that, if used properly, could not only break swords, but also pierce armor.

Because Harry and Hermione didn't have much experience with the weapons that Neville and Luna had chosen, they helped the two with the basics and Neville and Luna would research the rest in Harry's library.

Harry focused a lot on physical training as well as weapons training in the morning. He knew that Hermione was more than capable to work with Neville and Luna on spells in the afternoon without him, but Hermione still needed some physical and weapons training herself.

Because of the short amount of time, Harry put most of his energy into learning the ways of the Wizengamot from Augusta. The level of politics and manipulation that were involved with the Wizengamot were enough to make Harry's head hurt. Because he was the Lord of two houses, Harry held two seats, both of which were currently being occupied by Albus Dumbledore. When Harry made an announcement about his claiming the two titles, he would not only be able to take his seats back, he would also be able to revote on every issue that Dumbledore had voted on while using Harry's seats.

What Augusta couldn't teach him, Harry learned from his library. There were a great deal of books about the Potter House in the trunk library, but Harry hadn't gone to Grimmauld Place yet to inspect the library there. There was a deep history in the Potter House, and Harry became very proud about the fact that he was the first half-blood in the Potter House in centuries.

The last half-blood Potter had been a child born out of wedlock. The Potter head had an affair with a muggle-born witch and she ended up getting pregnant. Even though the child had carried the name Potter, the child was a girl and changed her name after marriage. She was not a recognized Potter though, it turned out that even Harry's family was prejudiced about muggle-borns and half-bloods until Harry's grandparents were Lord and Lady Potter.

Augusta was confident that Harry would know enough about the Wizengamot and the basics about the Ancient Houses by the time he turned 16, which was getting closer and closer. Soon it was a week before Harry's birthday, and Harry had received a letter from Ron inviting Harry over for his birthday. As soon as Harry had read the letter, he had gotten very angry and he was too furious to even finish that days training.

Harry sat on his bed in his room with the letter clutched in his hand and Kex saying rude things about Ron. Even though the pine marten had never met the Weasley before, he disliked Ron on principle that the weasel had taken advantage of Harry. They sat in Harry's room by themselves until there was a light and timid knock on the door.

"Come in Hermione," Harry called tiredly.

The door opened and Hermione stuck her head in while Ivy sprinted in and tried to climb onto the bed. "How did you know it was me?" Hermione asked curiously.

Harry gave her a small smile. "Your knock is always lighter and softer than Dobby's or Winky's. Do you need something?"

Hermione returned the smile and walked over to the bed. She picked Ivy up and sat down at the end of the bed. "I just wanted to see if you were okay. You've been quiet ever since you got the letter."

"He's openly mocking both me and Neville in the letter," Harry said acidly. "He thinks that I'll come to my senses after the party. I agreed to a party at the Weasley's, but they think that I won't want to leave." He tossed the letter to Hermione, "read it," he growled.

Hermione looked anxiously at the piece of parchment before she unrolled it and tried to read Ron's messy scrawl.

_Hey mate,_

_Mum tells me that you're spending the summer with Neville after your birthday. Are you nuts? Why on earth would you want to spend the summer with Neville? Don't you see enough of him during the school year? Mum told us that you already agreed to go to Neville's house, but don't worry, we'll talk to Neville so you won't have to go. You're too good a guy mate, you don't have to give Neville a pity visit. The guys spent, what 15 summers with no friends, so what's one more?_

_No worries, we'll get you out of it. Your best mate,_

_Ron_

"That…."Hermione stuttered, too furious to think of something to say. "How can he say this about Neville? Neville has been nothing but a friend to him!"

Harry nodded in agreement. "I'm worried about the party. If Dumbledore is there, what's stopping him from doing something to make sure that I do what he wants? Maybe I should call the party off, we can have a party here in the trunk."

Hermione immediately shook her head and passed the letter back. "You have to keep the appearance of naïve teenager. By staying with Neville, you're already pushing it, but if you decline the Weasley's party then Dumbledore will begin to suspect something."

"Why can't everyone just leave me alone?" Harry asked desperately.

When Hermione couldn't find an answer, Kex crawled into Harry's lap and offered some quiet comfort. They all sat there in silence while they each considered just what Dumbledore would do to retain control over Harry.

Finally, Hermione couldn't take the silence anymore. She put Ivy on the bed and crawled over so she was sitting next to Harry. When she was sitting comfortably next to him, she put her arm around his waist and put her head on his shoulder. Kex and Ivy smirked at the two, but didn't say anything.

"Nothing that has happened to you is fair," Hermione whispered. "But I can promise you that we won't let Dumbledore manipulate you anymore. We care about you too much."

Harry blushed slightly. He looked at Hermione who was blushing as well, but neither of them pulled away. "What if you can't stop him?" he whispered fearfully. "He could force me to listen to him, through magic or just by trying to keep you out of the way again. Hermione, you as well as Neville and Luna are in danger from Dumbledore almost as much as from Voldemort. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you."

Hermione pulled Harry into a tight hug. "I'm not leaving you. We'll work hard so that neither Dumbledore nor V-Voldemort can hurt us anymore. We won't let them hurt you anymore….**I** won't let them hurt you anymore."

Harry blushed even harder and returned the hug. "Thank you," he mumbled into her bushy hair.

The two were so focused on each other that they never noticed the grinning familiars exiting the room and closing the door as much as they could behind them. That night Harry took comfort in knowing that he was not alone. That night Harry felt like the protected instead of the protector.

* * *

A/N- I know that this chapter is my shortest yet, but I won't be able to update for another week or so and I wanted to get a chapter out. I've got two tests next week and I have to study. Next chapter- Weasley fun! Harry and Neville turn sixteen and Dumbledore makes an appearance. -Phoenix


	11. Party Fun

A/N- Thank you for all the reviews! Now if only everyone who reads my story would review (hint hint!). I have something that I would like input on from my readers. What do you guys think should be the Spiritual Heirs' powers? I already have an idea for Ravenclaw's magic and Slytherin's magic, but I'm a little stumped about the other two. If I like your ideas I'll give you credit in my author's note.

* * *

Harry anxiously waited in the park that was close to his home on Privet Drive. While he sat on the swings, waiting, he was incredibly aware of how alone he was, and how wrong it felt. Not only was Hermione not with him, but neither was Kex.

Today was Harry's birthday, and Harry was waiting for his Order escort to take him to the Weasley's. The day after Harry had received the letter, he had sent Hedwig with a letter to Remus asking if he would be his escort. Harry had gone through great lengths to make sure that Dumbledore wouldn't be the one to stop by the Dursley's.

The four friends agreed, much to their familiar's displeasure, that it was too risky to have them at the party, so they were staying at Longbottom Manor. Dobby and Winky had taken the trunk to Longbottom Manor where Harry, Hermione and Luna were going to be headed after the party. All that was left to do was attend the party.

The tricky part about getting to the Weasley's while making sure that no one knew about Harry's titles or the attack on Hermione. Having Hermione at Privet Drive would raise too many questions, and she couldn't be picked up at her old house either. The best solution that they could come up with was to have her be picked up at Flourish and Botts. So that morning, Winky had taken Hermione to the bookstore while Harry waited at the playground.

Harry waited by himself in the playground until there was a loud 'pop' in the corner of the playground. He turned around and smiled when he saw Remus Lupin brushing off his shaggy robes and walking towards Harry with his wand raised.

"Why was the Whomping Willow planted during my first year at Hogwarts?" he asked.

"To keep out students when you were transformed," Harry responded easily. "How did I learn how to cast a Patronus?"

"By using a Boggart which took on the form of a Dementor," Remus responded with a smile while he lowered his wand.

The two exchanged a brief hug before they pulled away.

"Hello Harry, happy birthday," Remus said happily.

"Thanks Remus," Harry responded.

Remus looked at Harry's more physical physique and raised an eyebrow. "Either you've had one heck of a growth spurt, or you've been working out."

Harry laughed. "A little bit of both."

Remus laughed as well and beckoned with his hand for Harry to follow him to the corner of the playground, which was reasonably well hid. "Why didn't you just have me come to your house?"

"The playground is within the boundaries of the blood wards, and this way I won't have the Dursleys yelling at me on my birthday," Harry explained simply.

"Alright then," Remus said with a shrug.

The werewolf gripped Harry's arm tightly and apparated the two of them to the party.

They landed just on the outskirts of the Weasley home protections. Harry could sense a large number of protection charms, but they were feeble compared to the protections on his trunk or Longbottom Manor.

"Who cast the protection charms?" Harry asked Remus.

Remus smiled reassuringly at Harry. "Dumbledore himself, so there's no need to worry about any Death Eater attacks during your party. Are you sure that you don't want to spend the remainder of the holiday here?"

Harry smiled grimly; he had expected everyone to try to talk him into staying here. "I promised Neville, and I don't go back on my word if I can help it."

Remus nodded approvingly. "Then prepare yourself to talk down Molly, she's determined to talk you out of it. I do believe she's planning on cornering Neville and Augusta when they arrive. By the way, it was very thoughtful of you to suggest that you and Neville celebrate your birthdays with one party."

"Neville's my friend," Harry said with a knowing smile. "And I don't let my friends celebrate alone."

They headed towards the Burrow and Harry could make out a large amount of people waiting outside, barely noticeable in all of the decorations. As soon as they made it into the yard, Harry was engulfed in a hug by a fiery redhead. It took him a second to realize that it was Ginny.

"Happy birthday Harry," Ginny said with a slightly flirtatious smile.

It was the first time that Harry had seen her since he had learned about the marriage contract, and he felt himself torn between angry and doubtful. He had no proof that Ginny knew anything about the contract, but when he looked in Ginny's flirty eyes, he felt a knot in his stomach as he realized that she knew.

"Hi Ginny," Harry said as happily as he could.

Ginny beamed and grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him to the house. Standing outside amongst all the decorations were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Fred, George, Tonks, Minerva and Hagrid. They were all beaming and waving at Harry excitedly.

Molly broke away from the group and engulfed Harry in a bone crushing hug. "Harry dear, happy birthday," she said in his ear.

When she was done with her hug, she pulled away and inspected Harry with a critical eye. Her forehead wrinkled slightly when she saw that she couldn't comment on Harry's weight, but she quickly put her warm smile back on.

"We were all terribly disappointed when you decided to not spend the remainder of the holiday with us," she said with a pout. "I had already prepared the house for you and made a bed in Ron's room."

Instinctively Harry glanced at his shoulder where Kex normally resided, but was painfully reminded of the pine marten's absence. _He would point out that she's trying to guilt trip me,_ he thought.

"I'm sorry that I won't be staying here," Harry said carefully. "But I promised to help Neville with his project and I'm looking forward to it, Herbology is not my best subject and I might learn something."

Mrs. Weasley frowned but didn't say anything. Instead she gently pushed Harry towards Ginny, who grabbed Harry's arm, and led the two of them to the group of people. Harry was scanning the crowd for Hermione, Neville and Luna when the twins pulled him aside and thrust a large box in his hands.

"Happy," began Fred.

"Birthday," continued George.

"Harry," they finished together.

Harry grinned skeptically. He was still unsure of whether or not the twins were in fact his friends or if they were after his money.

_I guess I should give them a chance,_ Harry thought. _Ron and Ginny are always the first to feel jealous, but never them. They deserve the benefit of the doubt._

Fred and George had large grins on their faces. "We hope that you'll stop by our shop after your stay at Neville's, but until you do we thought we'd give you our latest merchandise for your birthday as a little preview," Fred said happily.

Harry looked into the box and smiled at the large assortment of merchandise. "Thanks guys," he said sincerely. "I can't wait to try these out."

The twins' grins widened. Harry quickly put the box on the table that contained the rest of his presents and began mingling with the rest of the people at the party. There was one tense moment when Ron started berating him for wanting to stay at Neville's when Harry felt like he would lose his cool, but he managed to calm down.

Neville arrived ten minutes later with Augusta and Luna. He had a big smile on his face and he was blushing slightly. Harry noticed that the birthday cheers that Neville got weren't as warm and welcoming as his were, and it irritated him.

"Happy birthday Harry," Neville and Luna said when they came up to him.

"Everything's ready for our project," Neville said loudly for others to hear. "I've got a bunch of different plant pods and I have them all ready to go. I can't wait to see if we can get them to coexist together in a more confined area."

Harry laughed. Leave it to Neville to get excited about a project that they weren't even going to do. Suddenly he stopped laughing and he looked around. Besides the painful absence of the familiars, there was another hole.

"Where's Hermione?" he whispered to Neville and Luna. "She should be here by now."

Luna looked around and frowned slightly. "Wasn't Tonks going to pick her up?"

Harry's eyes widened and quickly went to the clumsy Auror with bubblegum-pink hair who was talking to Remus. "That's what Hermione said," he mumbled fearfully.

Before Harry could walk over to Tonks, Ron shouldered his way through Neville and Luna and threw his arm around Harry's shoulders.

"So how's it feel to **finally** be sixteen?" Ron asked obnoxiously.

Harry glared at the redhead and pushed the arm off of his shoulder. "It feels great," he said sarcastically. "Hey Ron, do you know where Hermione is?"

Ron glared at Harry. "Why do you care?"

"I care," Harry spat, losing his cool. "Because she's my best friend."

"And what am I?" Ron demanded.

Neville quickly put his hand on Harry's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "He didn't mean anything by it Ron," Neville said with a small smile. "Harry just wants Hermione to be here when we celebrate our birthdays."

Ron sneered at Neville. "That's right; you couldn't find anyone to come to your own party so you decided to crash Harry's."

This time it was Neville's turn to get angry and it was Luna's touch that calmed him down. Luna grabbed Neville's hand with her delicate one and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Your manners certainly do lack Ronald," she said with a voice as cold as her gray eyes. "That's no way to talk to someone on their birthday."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Whatever, anyway I don't know where Hermione is. All I know is that Dumbledore told Tonks that he would pick her up."

Harry shared an alarmed glance with Neville and Luna. "Why did Dumbledore offer to pick up Hermione?" he asked faintly.

"Beats me," Ron said with a shrug. "Personally I think he's a nutter to offer to pick her up in a bookstore. That girl is such a bookworm that it's ridiculous."

Before Harry could retaliate Ron walked over to the table where Harry's and Neville's were being piled and began inspecting the box that contained the products that the twins had given Harry.

"Why would Dumbledore offer to get Hermione?" he asked Neville and Luna desperately.

The two shook their heads sadly. "I don't know Harry," Neville said sadly. "We could ask Tonks."

Harry nodded and the three friends walked over to Remus and Tonks. The Auror was in the middle of telling a story when they approached her.

"Wotcher Harry," Tonks said cheerfully. "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks Tonks," Harry said a little hurriedly. "Do you know where Hermione is?"

Tonks shared a knowing grin with Remus. "Dumbledore offered to pick her up. He said that there was something that he wanted to talk to her about. I'm sure that she'll be here soon."

Harry shared another alarmed glance with Neville and Luna. Shortly after they had begun training, Hermione had told them everything that had happened to the both of them, so now Neville and Luna fully understood how serious Dumbledore's sudden interest in Hermione was.

"We can only wait for them to show up," Neville whispered worriedly.

Harry nodded and they excused themselves from Tonks and Remus. They began heading to talk to Hagrid when there was a 'pop' at the edge of the yard. Harry turned his head so fast that he almost got whiplash.

Walking towards the party was a smiling Dumbledore and a slightly subdued Hermione. It took all of Harry's willpower to not run over to her and get her away from Dumbledore. Instead he gave Dumbledore the warmest smile that he could manage.

"Hello Professor," he said with fake cheerfulness.

"Happy birthday Harry my boy," Dumbledore said with a slight twinkle in his eye. He dug his hand in his robes and pulled out a small, wrapped present. "I do hope that you enjoy the gift that I got you. It should prove to be very useful during the upcoming war."

Harry was barely listening to Dumbledore; he was looking at Hermione's face. Her face was looking pale and her eyes were a little distant. Harry gritted his teeth and again resisted the urge to pull her away from the manipulative old man.

Instead he turned his attention back to Dumbledore and accepted the gift. "Thank you Professor," he said, as happy as he could

He opened the gift and found himself holding an ancient-looking coin that was attached to an equally ancient-looking chain.

"That is an emergency portkey," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "If you are ever in trouble, you merely tap your wand to the coin and the portkey will take you straight to me. I put some of my own magic in the coin so I will be the portkey-anchor."

Harry didn't like the feeling of the coin in his hands. It felt dirty. "Thank you Professor," Harry mumbled.

Dumbledore waved off Harry's 'thanks' and walked over to talk to Minerva. As soon as he was out of earshot Harry shoved the coin in his pocket and gently grabbed Hermione's shoulders.

"Hermione are you okay?" he demanded. "Did he do anything to you?"

Hermione stared at Harry for a moment like she couldn't figure out who he was. After a second she blinked several times and she sagged slightly. Harry immediately went to her side and grabbed her waist to support her.

"What did he do?" Harry asked his voice dangerous.

"I think he tried to put a Confundus Charm on me," Hermione mumbled. "All I remember is feeling very confused about our friendship and whether or not you were my friend. I don't know why it didn't work on me, but it drained my energy."

Harry felt his anger begin to boil in his veins. "How dare he," he growled. "How dare he."

Hermione shrugged and gently pushed Harry away. "I'm okay, just tired."

Luna immediately stepped forward and grabbed Hermione's arm. "If Dumbledore cast a Confundus Charm on you, then you should act like it worked or else he might try it again. You'll have to act awkward around Harry for the rest of the party."

Hermione nodded in understanding and let Luna lead her to one of the tables that was covered with food with Harry and Neville in tow. As soon as Hermione was seated, Mrs. Weasley came hurrying over.

"Hermione dear," she fussed. "So happy you could come. I was disappointed when I heard that you were going away with your parents for the rest of the holiday. It seems that my house will be emptier than ever this year. Are you feeling alright dear? You're a little pale."

"I'm fine Mrs. Weasley," Hermione mumbled. "I'm just tired."

Mrs. Weasley gave a little 'tut' and began filling up a plate of food for Hermione. "You need to eat something. You're too skinny for a girl your age."

Hermione didn't protest she just gave Mrs. Weasley a small smile. "Thanks Mrs. Weasley."

The older woman walked away without another word. Hermione watched her go with a sad expression.

"She keeps trying to set me up with Ron," she told Luna. "When I was here earlier during the holiday, she kept hinting about what a cute couple Ron and I would make. She also commented multiple times about how I'm too skinny to have kids."

Luna frowned and Harry and Neville scowled. "She wants you to have Ron's kids? You're only sixteen."

Hermione shrugged tiredly and began to pick at the food on the plate that had been made for her.

Harry watched Mrs. Weasley through narrowed eyes. "It's like she and Dumbledore are both trying to keep you away from me."

"I agree," Hermione muttered.

The rest of the party went by too slowly for Harry's taste. Whatever had happened with the Confundus Charm had drained all of Hermione's energy and she could barely keep her eyes open. It didn't help that Dumbledore kept flashing them looks and Hermione had to act like she couldn't stand sitting too close to Harry.

There was an incident when Ron and Ginny decided to join them at their table and blatantly insult Neville and Luna. Even there had been nothing that Harry would've liked more than to hex both of them, but he knew that Neville and Luna were perfectly capable of defending themselves.

For presents, besides the coin that Dumbledore had given him, he got a practice snitch from Ron, a book about famous seekers from Ginny, a bunch of homemade treats from Mrs. Weasley and as another gift Dumbledore had given him an enchanted mirror whose partner resided in his office. The mirror was much larger than the one that Sirius had given him. These gifts were put to one side for Dobby and Winky check for spells or anything suspicious.

From Hagrid he got a book about the different species of dragons, along with a set of dragon miniatures like the miniature Hungarian Horntail that he already owned. From Tonks he got an Auror manual, from Minerva he got a new pair of seeker's gloves which were charmed to never wear out. Hermione, along with Neville and Luna, told Harry that they would give him their gifts later after the party.

His favorite gift though came from Remus. The Marauder had pulled him to the side after everyone had begun to help themselves to cake and handed him a small, battered old journal.

"What's this?" Harry asked curiously. When he opened the old journal he saw that the pages were blank and he was reminded of Riddle's old diary that he had destroyed during his second year.

"This," Remus said in a whisper. "Is the notebook that contains all of the notes that the Marauder's made about magic and Hogwarts. I would normally be against giving this to you, but times are dark and I plan to give you every advantage that I can. My only request is that you don't go looking for trouble or misuse what you learn."

Harry looked at the journal and ran his finger along the spine. "How do I get the journal to show me its contents?"

Remus gave Harry a wolf-like grin. "How do you activate the map? Don't look at it here, wait until you're alone and only show your closest friends. I suggest looking at page 103 first," he finished in a whisper

Remus didn't wait for Harry to respond. He patted Harry on the shoulder and blocked Harry from everyone else's view while Harry secured the journal in his pocket. Once the journal was out of sight, they headed back to the rest of the group.

When they got close to the rest of the group Harry heard Dumbledore talk quietly to Augusta. He stood as close to the two as he could and he focused in on what they were saying.

"You cannot take Harry for the rest of the summer," Dumbledore was saying. "He is safest either here or at his home. The Order can offer protection here and you can't offer him the protection that he needs."

Harry cringed when he pictured the look on Augusta's face. He did not want to be in Dumbledore's shoes when Augusta gets angry.

"For your information Albus," Augusta said dangerously. "I live in Longbottom Manor, the main home for the Ancient House of Longbottom. There are protections on my home that go back centuries and have never been breached. I highly doubt that the wards that you have placed on the Weasley's home can even hope to match the protections that my home possesses."

"Harry will be safer here," Dumbledore insisted, a little angrily. "I am his magical guardian, and I say that he is to stay here."

That was the boiling point for Harry. Ignoring the questioning looks that Hermione sent him; he stomped up to Dumbledore and glared at him through his blazing emerald eyes.

"Don't you care what **I** want?" Harry demanded.

Dumbledore looked at Harry in surprise. "Of course I do Harry, I'm just thinking about your safety. You will be safer here."

Harry shook his head irritably. "I already said that I would spend the rest of the summer at Neville's, and I'm looking forward to it. You have no right to tell me where I am to stay. You may be my magical guardian, but this isn't a magical guardian matter. I got permission from the Dursley's; I don't need your permission. The plans are made."

"You must see reason Harry," Dumbledore insisted. "The Order has been using the Burrow as headquarters, and I have personally set up the wards that protect this place. Are you seriously telling me that you don't wish to spend the remainder of the holiday with your best friend?"

"I love staying here," Harry said through clenched teeth. "But I want to see where Neville lives and I'm looking forward to our project. So please stop trying to get me to stay here, my plans are made and I don't plan on changing them."

Dumbledore looked angry that Harry was defying him. "I only have your best interests at heart," he said a little irritably. "I am sorry that you won't listen to reason, but I can see that I cannot change your mind.

Harry shook his head and returned to the table. His three close friends looked at him in concern, but Harry gave them a reassuring smile.

The rest of the party went by too slowly for Harry's taste. There were multiple attempts by Ron, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley to get him to stay with them, but they all ended with Harry's cold decline. Slowly, everyone started to head back home. After they gave Harry and Neville their last birthday wishes, they left. At Mrs. Weasley's insistence, Harry stayed a little longer to help clean up. He was washing dishes with Ginny when the redhead spoke up.

"I really wish that you would stay," she whispered seductively. "We could spend the rest of the summer getting closer. Wouldn't you like to spend more time with me?"

Harry turned his head away so Ginny wouldn't see him roll his eyes. "I'm getting sick of you guys trying to talk me out of my plans," he growled. "It's not like I won't see you at school." He finished the stack of dishes that he was cleaning and he put them away. Without looking at Ginny he said, "See you at the Hogwarts Express."

He left the stunned girl alone and walked out to the yard. The tables were cleared and all of the decorations were gone. Harry saw that Hermione was leaning against Luna slightly, and he couldn't help but wonder why the Confundus Charm hadn't worked.

"Harry dear are you done with the dishes?" Mrs. Weasley asked from behind him.

Harry turned around and nodded. "I am Mrs. Weasley. Thank you for the party."

Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly. "I do wish that you would stay…"

"I'm not," Harry said coldly, cutting her off. "I'll see you at the Hogwarts Express."

Mrs. Weasley glared at him, but it was gone in a second. "Of course you will dear."

Harry walked up to Hermione and Luna. "Where's Neville and Mrs. Longbottom?" he asked.

"Talking with Dumbledore," Luna answered. "He's trying to convince them one last time."

Harry sighed irritably. He then heard his name being called and he turned around to see Neville and Augusta walking towards them. Augusta looked angry and Neville looked a little bemused.

"What did he do now?" Harry asked angrily.

"Do not fear," Augusta reassured him. "It was just one last attempt. He won't be able to reach you at Longbottom Manor so you will be free of him until school. That is assuming that you get rid of that mirror that he gave you, as well as the coin."

Harry grinned mischievously. "I'm sure that I can get Dobby to put the mirror somewhere appropriate. As for the coin, maybe I'll attach it to a garden gnome or something."

"Don't do that Harry," Hermione scolded him. Even though she was exhausted she could still scold with the best of them. "That coin could lead anyone to Dumbledore if it gets in the wrong hands. I think you should put it somewhere safe where Death Eaters can't get it."

"Alright Mione'," he said. "Let's go."

Augusta grabbed Harry's and Neville's arms firmly. "You have to keep up appearances," she told Harry. "You'll have to endure side-along apparition. I've already sent your gifts to my home." She turned to Luna and Hermione who were glancing at Dumbledore who was talking to Mrs. Weasley. "Are you girls sure that you don't want me to come get you?"

Hermione smiled and shook her head. "I've told people that Luna wants to prove to me that a crumpled horned snorkack exists so I'm going to her house. Because Luna lives close by, we said we would walk and once we're out of sight I'll apparate us to Longbottom Manor."

Augusta nodded and spun on the spot. They landed in the foyer of Longbottom Manor and Harry and Neville were immediately tackled by a blur of fur.

Sage, now a full grown wolf, leapt right on top of Neville and tackled him to the ground before nuzzling him affectionately.

"_Don't leave me again_," Sage ordered.

The familiar had really grown. His fur was still the same shade as Neville's hair, his build had become more powerful and his muzzle was thick. Harry said that Sage proved that Neville did have a lot of power, and would make a great alpha male.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you behind," Neville said while he hugged the wolf. "I don't like leaving you any more than you like being left."

Sage wagged his tail and continued to but his head into Neville's stomach affectionately.

While Neville and Sage enjoyed their moment, Kex climbed up Harry's leg and settled on Harry's shoulder.

"_How'd your party go?"_ Kex asked.

Harry sighed and reached up to scratch Kex under his chin. "As well as expected. I wish you were there."

Kex nuzzled against Harry's head. "_I wish I could have been there too_," he agreed.

Once they were done greeting each other, a tired-looking Ivy sprinted up to Harry and began barking angrily.

"_She wants to know what happened to Hermione_," Kex translated.

Harry bent over and picked up the fennec fox. "Dumbledore tried to cast a Confundus Charm on her, and for some reason it didn't work. Hermione is okay, but whatever happened drained her energy. She should be here soon."

Ivy nodded worriedly.

They didn't wait long. Less than five minutes later there was a loud 'pop' from behind them. Harry turned around and saw Hermione and Luna, and surprisingly Luna's father.

Ivy immediately struggled and tried to get to Hermione. Hermione saw Ivy and instantly went over and scooped up the small fox into a hug.

"I'm okay," she assured her. "I missed you."

Luna pulled her father up to the group and smiled. "I hope you don't mind that I brought my father, he wanted to say goodbye and he wanted to meet the familiars."

"He's welcome here," Augusta assured her.

Luna smiled in reply and looked around the group. She giggled after a moment and held out her arm. "Fay!" she called.

There was an excited screech and a streak of silver and black. Fay had finished growing as well and now had black feathers with silver feathers on her stomach. Her beak was slightly longer and now had a slight hook to it, and her talons were incredibly sharp. She always took care when she perched on Luna, but she wasn't as cautious on anyone else.

Fay perched carefully on Luna's arm and beamed. "_I was flying through the halls_," she explained. "_It's easier to practice sharp turns in here_."

Luna giggled and stroked Fay's feathers. "Hopefully you won't feel restricted while we're in the trunk."

After everyone was reunited with their familiars, Augusta led them to the guest room where Harry's trunk was already set up. Neville and Luna had moved in the day before, and now there was nothing left to do except activate the rune and step inside the trunk.

Harry took the gifts that he had received from Hagrid, Minerva, Tonks, the twins and Remus and held them in his arms. The other gifts lay on the floor where they had been dumped.

"You won't need to worry about us," Harry told Augusta. "We have everything that we'll need."

Augusta nodded and turned to Neville. She looked hesitant about something for a moment until she finally pulled Neville into a tight hug.

Neville squeaked in surprise at the hug. His gran was not the hugging type. Once his shock wore off he returned the hug.

"I'll make you proud Gran," he mumbled.

"You already have," Augusta said, beaming.

While Neville was saying his goodbyes to his gran, Luna was hugging her father tightly, like she couldn't bear to let him go.

"You'll do wonderfully my little Luna," her father whispered. "And when you get back you can show me everything that you've learned."

Luna nodded in her father's shirt and shakily pulled herself away. "I love you Daddy," she sniffed.

"And I love you," he said fondly.

Neville and Luna shared one last hug with their loved ones before they walked over to the trunk. They looked slightly intimidated by the trunk, but they determinedly opened the lid and began walking down the stairs. Sage awkwardly climbed in the trunk while Fay flew down the staircase with Hermione following with Ivy in her arms.

Before Harry could move forward to activate the rune, he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw that it was Luna's father and was shocked to see that there were tears in the man's eyes.

"Luna is everything to me," he started. "I know that she'll be safe with you, but you can't blame a father for worrying."

Harry smiled in understanding. "I won't let anything happen to Luna, and neither will Hermione or Neville. Friends don't let their friends get hurt."

Luna's father nodded emotionally and pulled back.

Harry quickly activated the rune and stepped into the trunk. He gave Augusta and Mr. Lovegood a big smile before he pulled the lid shut. The protection charms activated and the trunk locked. The second training session had begun, and neither of them would be the same when they exited.

* * *

A/N- Tests are done! Don't worry, I'm not going to do five chapters about this trunk session, I'm going to try to compact it into one or two chapters. But, because of the length of time in the trunk (which is close to three years), the chapters will need to be longer than my average chapter length. I don't know when I'll get the long chapter out. Again, does anyone have any suggestions for Gryffindor's and Hufflepuff's magic? -Phoenix


	12. Return To The Trunk Part I

A/N- Here's part 1 of the second training session. I'm having a little contest for this story, the details are at the end of the chapter. -Phoenix

* * *

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office feeling a mixture of both anger and satisfaction. True, he hadn't been able to talk Harry out of staying with the Longbottom boy, but he had managed to secure a way to keep tabs on them.

The mirror that he had given Harry was very useful. He now had the method to check in on Harry whenever he wanted. And if there was one instant where it looked like Harry was hurt, he could contact the Aurors and take Harry away from Longbottom Manor.

Dumbledore looked at the clock on his wall and smiled slightly. The party had ended ten minutes ago, plenty of time for Harry to make it to Longbottom manor. Even if the mirror wasn't hanging yet, he could still eavesdrop in on the conversations without showing up in the other mirror.

He walked up to the mirror and tapped his wand to the glass. "Spy," he commanded.

The mirror glowed white before a picture began to show. Dumbledore smiled at his own brilliance. It was impressive spellwork to get the mirror to work only one way and still have the other mirror only work the way that it had been intended.

The picture finished forming and Dumbledore felt his face flush in anger. The picture that he was looking at was a very clear view of a kitchen that was filled with house elves working.

"Why is my mirror in a kitchen?" Dumbledore demanded. "Harry was meant to hang it in his bedroom!"

A house elf that was passing by the mirror stopped and looked right at it.

"Excuse me sir," the house elf squeaked. "But those eavesdropping charms do not work on house elves. Mistress Longbottom has given her house elves permission to destroy the mirror if Sir continues to spy and bother Master Neville and his friend Mister Harry."

Dumbledore flushed even more. "Why is the mirror in the kitchen?"

The house elf giggled into her hand. "Mistress Longbottom thought that the mirror looked nice in the kitchen."

"I demand that this mirror be moved into Harry's room," Dumbledore raged.

The house elf immediately stopped giggling and glared at Dumbledore. "Tippy does not serve Mister Dumbledore," she said in a cold tone that Dumbledore hadn't thought possible of an elf. "Tippy serves the Ancient House of Longbottom, and will proudly do anything that her master's ask. And Mistress asked to keep the mirror in the kitchen. Tippy warns you now, if Tippy or any other elf catches you spying on Mistress' home again, Mister will find that his mirror will be moved to a location with a displeasing view."

Without waiting for a reply, Tippy turned and walked out of the kitchen.

Feeling angrier than ever, Dumbledore deactivated the mirror. Fuming, he stomped up to his fireplace and threw a handful of Floo Powder into the fire and stuck his head in the emerald flames.

"Longbottom Manor," he yelled angrily.

Taking care not to inhale any ash, Dumbledore waited to be answered. He saw that he was in a study; Augusta's if he was correct. He frowned irritably when he saw that it was empty.

"Augusta," he called as calmly as he could.

He could faintly hear footsteps outside of the door. He gritted his teeth impatiently until the door finally opened and Augusta walked in.

"My dear lady," he said angrily. "Would you care to tell me why the mirror that I gave Harry is currently hanging in your kitchen?"

Augusta didn't flinch. She straightened her hat and grinned. "Harry thought that it looked good in the kitchen."

"I gave him that mirror so that I could communicate with him," Dumbledore said sharply. "You obviously do not care for his safety, but I do. I insist that the mirror be placed in Harry's room."

Augusta glared at Dumbledore. "You do not order me around Dumbledore," she said quietly. "You will see Harry at school, but until then you will not communicate here. I will ban you from my Floo Network and I will not reveal the location of my home to you."

"Madam," Dumbledore gasped.

Augusta wasn't done. She leaned forward, as far as her old back would go, and sneered at Dumbledore. "I will not be manipulated by you anymore. Harry is safe here, and that is all that you need to know. If you continue to harass me and my family, I will destroy your mirror. Rest assured that hideous coin will not be tossed outside with the garbage. That is all that I will tell you."

Without another word, Augusta stepped back and locked the Floo Network with a wave of her wand. She stood up and brushed off her robes in satisfaction.

"Tippy," she called while she finished locking Dumbledore out of her Floo Network.

The door opened and the small house elf walked in. After bowing down to Augusta, she stood up and smiled. "Tippy finished Mistress' request."

Augusta smiled widely. "So that wretched coin will not be a bother? Dumbledore failed to mention that as long as Harry wore that coin, Dumbledore could activate the portkey himself and bring Harry to him."

Tippy giggled. "Tippy secured the coin around a garden gnome. No bad wizards will be able to use the coin, but if Mister tries to summon Mister Harry then he will get a surprise."

"Good job Tippy," Augusta said while struggling not to laugh. "Hopefully by the time Dumbledore realizes that Harry doesn't possess the coin, they'll be done in the trunk."

* * *

After entering the trunk, the first thing that they all did was sit around the dining table to discuss their plans. Hermione had her muggle notebook in front of her and she had a pen poised and ready to take notes.

Harry sat at the head of the table with the journal that Remus had given him sitting in front of him. The journal was open, but Harry was hesitant to activate the revealing charm.

"_You might as well do it_," Kex said.

Harry nodded sadly. "I know it's just that this is my father's legacy. I'm just nervous."

Kex nodded in understanding. "_But think of it this way. You'll be closer to your father than ever. Remus gave this to you for a reason, don't pass it up_."

After a couple more deep breaths, Harry tapped his holly wand to the pages. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he said clearly.

Immediately ink began to appear on the pages and arranged into words. Harry noticed that the notes seemed to be written by more than one person and seemed to mostly cover Transfiguration and dueling spells.

Hermione, who couldn't resist and started looking over Harry's shoulder, gasped in excitement. "Harry those are some very useful spells and these notes show how to maximize their effects. The Marauders really knew their stuff. I'm worried though, Wormtail is sure to know these tricks as well."

Harry scoffed. "Wormtail is a pitiful wizard. That's why he clung to my dad. Even if Wormtail does know these tricks, I bet that we can easily overpower him. Remus told me to check out page 103, I guess now is as good a time as any."

Taking care not to rip the old pages, Harry continued to flip the pages until he saw a messy 103, scribbled in the corner. Harry read the page and he felt his mouth form a sly grin.

"What does it say Harry?" Hermione asked excitedly.

Harry grinned at her and gently pushed the journal towards her. The girl bent over the table and read the journal. Soon her grin was just as big as Harry's. Ivy climbed onto the table with Hermione and shrugged indifferently.

"We're going to be in here for almost three years," Hermione began excitedly.

"And we know how to process works now," Harry continued.

Hermione began reading through more pages. "It is illegal though," she said a little doubtfully.

Harry scoffed. "The ministry is run by idiots. If it gives us an advantage, I say we go for it."

Neville and Luna watched the exchange in confusion. "What are you guys talking about?" Neville demanded and Sage barked in agreement.

"Sorry guys," Harry laughed. He took the journal from Hermione and passed it down to Neville and Luna.

At the top of page 103, in what they called the Marauder's Handbook, _**Animagus**_ was written boldly. Neville gawked at the notes, but Luna didn't seem too surprised.

"These are step-by-step instructions on how to become an Animagus," Neville gasped. "Harry, do you realize how dangerous this could be? If we screw it up we could seriously hurt ourselves."

Harry took the journal back and continued to flip through the notes. "Everything they wrote is incredibly detailed. Sirius said that it took them close to three years to do this, but they were figuring it out themselves. If we follow their instructions carefully we should be fine. And since we're going to be training for close to three years, we should be able to accomplish it." He paused and looked at his three friends with a serious expression. "If you guys don't want to do this, that's fine. But, I'm going to use every advantage that I can get."

Neville and Luna exchanged a quick glance. Neville still looked unsure while Luna looked interested.

"I'm going to go for it," Hermione said.

She took the journal from Harry and waved over every page of Animagus notes with her ash wand before waving the wand over the blank pages of her notebook. The notes copied in the notebook and filled up five full pages. When the notes were done copying, Hermione gently tore out the pages and performed another copying charm, making another three copies of the five page notes. When the notes were done copying, she waved her wand again and each pile of notes bound together as if they were tied with an invisible thread.

When Hermione looked pleased with the work, she holstered her wand and handed out the copies and gave Harry the original.

"This way we can each look over the process without having to bother you," she explained. "I charmed the pages so that they won't tear and they can't be separated."

Harry beamed at Hermione. "That's great. So I guess we should come up with a schedule now so we can start tomorrow."

Hermione nodded in agreement and grabbed her pen. "I think we should still start with physical fitness and weapons."

"Agreed," everyone said.

Neville looked thoughtful. "We should work on more than just fighting. What if we worked on Potions and other more passive forms of magic?"

Hermione looked thoughtful. "The Potter Library does have a vast collection. But we'll have to have a very diverse schedule to accommodate so many different topics. If we do physical training every day of the week and work on topics in the afternoon…"

They waited quietly while Hermione muttered to herself and wrote furiously in her notebook. Every now and then Ivy would bark a comment and Hermione would cross through something. After ten minutes of planning, Hermione looked very pleased. She used the copy charm again and passed out a copy of the schedule to everyone.

Harry groaned a little when he read the schedule. It read:

**7-9: Physical Training**

**9-11: Weapons Training**

**11-12: Lunch**

**12-2: Spellwork + Dueling**

**2-4: Topics**

**4-5: Animagus**

**5-6: Dinner**

**6-7: Occlumency**

"Geez Hermione," Harry groaned. "This schedule is even more brutal than Master Zux's was."

Hermione grinned. "We have a lot of work to do. It won't seem too bad after a while. We'll take it easy at first and add on to the workload as we go on."

Luna was looking at the schedule with interest while Neville paled. "What is Topics?" she asked.

"Topics are things that would be covered in school," Hermione said with a grin at Neville. "Monday and Wednesday we'll work on Potions and as much Herbology as we can while in the trunk. Tuesday and Thursday we'll go over Transfiguration and Magical Creatures as much as we can. Friday we can work on whatever we feel needs more work. I feel that these topics are the most important, but I would also like to work on Runes a little bit whenever we can."

Harry raised an eyebrow at Hermione. "Are we only working Monday through Friday Mione'?"

Hermione nodded. "We'll need the weekends to fully recover. Does this schedule look alright to you three?"

Everyone nodded and moved to stand up when Sage growled something. Harry and Hermione looked at Neville confusedly.

"He wants to know what they're supposed to do," Neville said. "He has a point. We're going to be working hard to train, why can't they?"

"Can you guys do magic?" Harry asked Kex.

"_I'm not sure_," Kex admitted. "_It's not like we have anyone explaining it to us_."

Harry closed his eyes in concentration. "Ragnok said that true familiars can apparate when taken away, but I don't remember what else. It was over seven months ago to me."

"I'll do some research," Hermione promised the familiars. "But until I find anything, you guys can work with us. It would be useful if you could sneak up on an opponent of ours and attack. And when we work on topics, we can activate a training dummy and you guys can practice on that."

Sage looked happy with the answer, as did the other familiars.

Everyone suddenly felt very exhausted after their day. "I vote we go to bed," Harry said. "Tomorrow's the first day of training and I for one don't want to fall asleep in the middle of it. We have a lot of work to do."

* * *

Four months into training everyone had improved immensely. The first two weeks of training had been completely brutal for everyone. Dobby and Winky had more on their plate between cleaning and repairing after their training sessions (especially failed potions) and taking care of injuries.

The two elves had managed to add a room to the trunk, which they turned into a potion's lab. The lab had everything that they would need for potions and always made sure that the ingredient pantry was always full. Their current project was making a room with the same properties of a greenhouse for plants for Neville.

Harry and Hermione worked Luna and Neville very hard in physical training. Hermione still preferred swimming to running, but she was trying to do both. During weapons training, when they weren't sparring, everyone worked on their own to further develop their skills.

So far during spellwork, they worked on polishing the spells that they already knew. Thanks to the Marauder's Handbook, they were able to use their spells to their full potential. The handbook was filled with little tips, like how to hold your wand or an easier wand motion.

The familiars worked very hard to get in shape as well. The three mammals would mostly run and swim while Fay flew laps. Out of all of the familiars, Fay had the hardest time. Even though the trunk's apartment was incredibly roomy, it felt very small to her. Fay didn't have enough space to truly work on her flying abilities and her heart ached for the open sky.

Whenever they weren't training they all spent a lot of time in the pool room. It was Fay's favorite room mainly because of the sky. Everyone loved the pool room and it always made Dobby practically burst pride whenever they praised him for all of the hard work that he put into it.

The most difficult thing for the four friends so far was the Animagus training. The very beginning of Animagus training was basically the same as beginning Occlumency. They had to clear their minds, but in Animagus training they also had to tap into their animal instincts. A week into Animagus training, they found that it was easiest to do this while in the pool room. Even though the pool room only mimicked nature, it still made it easier.

The difficult part wasn't clearing their mind; it was tapping into their animal instincts. So far only Hermione had managed to grasp and hold her animal instinct, but that was only for a few minutes at best. Only when they could grasp and hold onto their instinct without losing their grip even for a second, could they move onto the next step.

Because Hermione was already further ahead than anyone else in most of the Topics, she would spend some of the Topic's time in the library. She said that she was researching more about the familiars, but Harry felt that she was hiding something.

The four friends were finishing yet another day of training in the training room when Hermione cleared her throat. Everyone's eyes were on her instantly.

"What is it Hermione?" Harry asked while he wiped the sweat off of his forehead. Occlumency training was still difficult for him.

Hermione looked excited. "I finished researching about true familiars."

The familiars immediately matched Hermione's excitement. Only Ivy didn't look surprised, but that was mainly because she had helped with the research.

"What did you find?" Neville asked.

Hermione stood up off of the floor and stretched. "True familiars can't do much magic, they can open doors and unlock things, but other than that they can't do much on their own. But they can be incredibly useful while in battle. When it comes to magic, all they can really do is strengthen our spells. I'm not sure how they do this, but from what I've read the spell's strength can increase by over 50% when aided by a true familiar."

"Brilliant," Harry muttered and Kex nodded in agreement.

"Familiar apparition is something that can only be activated when the need is great," Hermione continued. "I'm not entirely sure about this, but I believe that it happens when the familiar is separated from the wizard and both parties feel the separation so much that their bond brings the familiar back. Do you guys remember how on Harry's birthday, Dumbledore tried to cast a Confundus Charm on me?"

Everyone nodded. Ivy looked furious at the memory and had her lips drawn back in a snarl.

"Well when it happened, I felt a pull coming from Ivy," Hermione continued. "I think it was because I truly needed her and she would have apparated right to me if I hadn't managed to cut her off."

"_And nearly gave me a heart attack out of worry_," Ivy growled.

Hermione smiled apologetically and picked up Ivy and gave her a hug. "I didn't want Dumbledore to see you. Hopefully I won't have to hide you at school."

"_Like I'd let you wander Hogwarts without me_," Ivy teased.

Hermione giggled and turned her attention back to the others. "I don't know how to control familiar apparition, but from what I can gather both parties need to feel the need."

"Is there anything else?" Harry asked excitedly. The thought of what Kex could do made Harry fidget in excitement.

"I found something called 'Body Merge," Hermione began carefully. She looked a little nervous as did Ivy. "I personally hate the name, but what it is, is when a witch or wizard literally becomes one with his or her familiar."

Harry looked confused. "How do we do that?"

Hermione sighed and put Ivy down on the floor. "From what I've read there are two parts to Body Merge. The Body Merge is difficult, but if done correctly you can literally merge into your familiar's body. It's kind of like apparating your entire essence into your familiar. I haven't managed to do it yet though."

"You've actually tried this?" Neville gasped.

"We have," Hermione said. She looked at Ivy who nodded. Turning back to her friends, Hermione gave them a half-smile. "We've only managed the first part of the Body Merge. We'll show you."

Before they could stop her, Hermione sat down and closed her eyes in concentration. Harry felt a rush of magic come from her, and before he realized what was happening, Hermione collapsed to the floor in a heap.

"Hermione!" Harry, Neville and Luna cried worriedly.

Harry pulled Hermione into his lap and anxiously checked her heartbeat. It was slow, but it was steady.

"Wake up Hermione," Harry said urgently. He turned to Neville and Luna. "Did something go wrong?" he asked desperately.

He felt something poke him. Looking down he saw that it was Ivy. The fennec fox was grinning painfully and seemed a bit unsteady on her feet.

"What went wrong?" he asked Ivy.

Ivy barked something to Kex, whose eyes widened in surprise.

"_She says that nothing went wrong_," he translated in awe.

"But then why is Hermione unconscious?" Harry demanded.

Ivy continued to grin, and leapt on Hermione's body. Shakily, she stood on her hind legs with her front paws planted on Harry's chest. Harry looked down at the little fox and gasped when he saw a pair of achingly familiar brown eyes staring at him.

"Hermione?" he asked.

Ivy's grin widened and she nodded enthusiastically.

Neville and Luna crawled over with their familiars following. They gasped when they too recognized those eyes.

"So your spirit merged with Ivy's body, but you can't get your body to follow," Luna concluded.

Ivy nodded again and jumped away from Harry. She closed her eyes in concentration and Harry felt the same magic that Hermione had let off moments before. The little fox became unsteady on her feet and sat down roughly, panting slightly.

In his lap, Harry felt Hermione stir. He looked down and smiled when Hermione opened her eyes and gave him a tired smile. Harry returned the smile, but didn't let go of her.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Hermione blushed and nodded. "It's just a little tiring, but it's much easier than it used to be. Right now all I get is a small headache afterwards."

Without thinking, Harry brushed a gentle hand across her cheek. "Please explain what you're going to do next time," he said gently. "You scared me half to death."

"I will Harry," Hermione responded, just as softly.

They were reminded of everyone's presence when Sage barked in amusement. Blushing like mad, they scrambled away from each other.

Hermione picked up Ivy and gently set her in her lap. "Are you okay Ivy?"

Ivy nodded. "_It didn't hurt as much this time_," she said happily.

"That's good," Hermione sighed in relief.

Luna made her way so that she was sitting next to Hermione with Fay perched on her shoulder. "So how did you do that?"

Hermione chuckled. "I just sort of followed the bond. I don't really know how to describe it. But I think the reason why I can only move my spirit is because I can't follow the bond completely."

"So you can't really teach us," Luna confirmed.

Hermione smiled sheepishly. "Sorry I can't. But I can tell you this: when you start trying it out do it at night and while you're on your bed. It's very tiring and it hurts to land on the floor night after night."

Luna laughed and looked Fay in the eye. "I would very much like to fly with you Fay. When we perfect the Body Merge and we finish our time in the trunk, we'll go flying together often."

"_I can't wait_," Fay screeched happily.

Hermione suddenly gasped excitedly. "Oh, I almost forgot! I found a way for us to understand each other's familiars!"

Harry saw Luna flinch slightly in the corner of his eye, but he didn't make anything of it. "That's great! How do we do it?"

"A loyalty oath," Hermione laughed. "A true familiar can only be understood by another wizard if that wizard makes a loyalty oath and the familiar's wizard accepts it."

"It's that easy?" Neville asked in amusement. "We could've done that months ago!"

Harry laughed with Neville. "I'll go first then." He held his alder wand in front of his face. "I, Lord Potter-Black, do hereby swear to be loyal and a true friend, to Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood."

Hermione raised her ash wand. "I, Hermione Granger, do hereby accept Lord Potter-Black's oath of loyalty. I also do swear to be loyal and a true friend to Lord Potter-Black, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood."

Neville accepted Harry's and Hermione's oaths and gave his own. Hermione accepted Neville's oath and Harry accepted both Neville's and Hermione's. After they were done they looked at Luna expectantly.

Luna looked nervous and hesitant to speak. After an encouraging chirp from Fay, she took a deep breath and looked at her three friends with an expression that was more serious than they had ever seen on her.

"Before I accept your oaths and make my own," she began. "I wanted to tell you guys something."

"What is it Luna?" Neville asked curiously.

Luna took another deep breath. "I can already understand your familiars because I can speak to animals, magical or not."

Luna closed her eyes and braced herself for her friends to call her Loony or odd. She was so used to being mercilessly made fun of while at school that she had built up a vague appearance as a form of defense. But, when she was with her true friends her defense came down.

_If they reject me, it'll break me_, Luna thought despairingly.

After a couple of moments Luna couldn't bear it any longer. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and saw that everyone was smiling at her. Neville's smile was the biggest and he reached out and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"We already knew," he said gently. "After you said that you understood Fawkes we figured that you could also understand other animals, including our familiars. But, we wanted to wait for you to tell us."

"You guys don't think I'm Loony?" Luna asked in surprise.

Everyone shook their heads. "We think you're Luna," Harry said happily. "A kind, intelligent and somewhat unorthodox witch. But that's what we love about you. You aren't Loony Lovegood, you're our friend."

Luna felt her eyes fill up with tears. "Thank you," she sniffed. Eyes still watering, she accepted their oaths and made her own.

Everyone accepted Luna's oath happily. After the oaths were finished, they all grinned at each other. They looked at their familiars expectantly.

"_I think they want us to say something_," Kex said in amusement.

"_It appears that they do_," Ivy chuckled.

"_It's about time that they figured out how to do this_," Sage laughed loudly.

"_It will be nice to be understood by everyone_," Fay said clearly.

Everyone laughed in excitement when they realized that the oaths had worked and they could all understand each other. Their bonds had become that much stronger, and nothing could break them.

* * *

The biggest achievement that was made during their training was achieved by none other than Neville Longbottom. They had now been training for close to a year, and Neville had managed to transform his hand into a large paw. They started partial transformations after they each were able to grasp their animal instinct, but it was incredibly difficult.

Neville was so happy that he was the first one to achieve partial transformation that he danced around the pool with Sage right behind him. It turned out that Neville had a great energy and sense of humor, but he was always so shy that it never came across. Now that he had spent so much time with his best friends, he finally felt comfortable showing who he really was.

"I did it," Neville chanted excitedly.

"_He did it_," Sage barked.

Everyone watched the two in amusement. Luna watched Neville fondly, with a small smile on her face.

"He did it," she whispered to Fay, who was perched on her shoulder.

Fay nodded. "_He's come a long way_," she whispered back.

Harry was laughing in excitement and stood up to stretch. "That's awesome Nev! Now we know that you're a mammal!"

Neville stopped dancing and came running back to the group. There was sweat pouring down his face and he seemed to be struggling to hold onto the partial transformation. The paw was covered in dark brown fur and was twice the size of Sage's paws.

He held his paw out to Luna, who knew more about animals, magical or not, than even Hermione. "Do you have any ideas Luna?"

Luna blushed slightly and took the paw in her hands. "I don't know exactly what it is, but I can tell you that it isn't feline, the toes are too long and the claws don't look like they can retract."

Neville smiled at Luna's touch. Her fingers were so delicate and gentle that even when brushing against fur it sent shivers up his spine. "Well that narrows it down," he said cheerfully.

Their eyes met and for a moment they both found that they couldn't look away. It was only when Fay gently dug her nails into Luna's shoulder when they broke the contact.

"So," Hermione said a little awkwardly. "Congratulations Neville, this means that you're going to be the leader for this step."

Neville beamed in pride. He never thought that he would be the leader in anything except for perhaps Herbology while they were in the trunk.

"It's just taking what we could already do a step further," Neville began to explain. "You just have to go a little deeper…"

* * *

That night after everyone had finished with Occlumency they all split up and went to their rooms to rest early. Hermione was changing into her pajamas after a much needed shower when there was a timid knock on her door.

"Hold on," Hermione called while she finished pulling on a simple blue tank-top over her gray sweatpants.

Ivy was sprawled across the bed and lazily opened one eye. "_Don't be long_," she yawned. "_I'm tired_."

Hermione rolled her eyes in amusement. "I won't."

She opened the door to find a nervous Luna standing in the hall. "Can I come in?" she asked softly.

"Of course," Hermione said instantly. She stepped to the side and closed the door behind Luna.

She motioned for Luna to sit down. Luna was so distracted that she almost sat on Ivy. The fox gave an indignant grunt and leapt out of the way to play with Fay.

"What's wrong Luna?" Hermione asked gently. Even though the two girls were very different, they were still best friends and it hurt Hermione to see the desperation and confusion on the younger girl's face.

Luna smiled nervously and looked at Hermione pleadingly. "I think I have feelings for Neville."

Hermione smiled and took Luna's hand in her own. "I kind of figured."

Luna gasped in horror and pulled her hand out of Hermione's. "Does that mean that Neville knows?" she asked despairingly while she buried her face in her hands.

"Luna its okay," Hermione said hurriedly. "I don't think he knows."

"_I_ _don't think he knows either_," Ivy said while she squirmed her way into Hermione's lap. "_He doesn't act like he knows."_

Fay clumsily walked over to Luna and gently pecked her arm. "_It's nothing to be ashamed about. It's completely normal to find a mate_."

Luna looked at Fay in alarm. "A mate? I'm just struggling with some feelings; I'm not planning on marrying him or anything."

Fay gave a little bird shrug. "_The ways of humans still confuse me. Everything is so much simpler as an animal_."

"I bet," Luna mumbled. She looked up at Hermione. "I don't know what to do. What if this ruins our friendship? It would kill me to lose Neville as a friend. What did you do when you realized that you had feelings for Harry?"

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. Beside her Ivy flinched and looked at Luna. "_She didn't realize it yet_," she explained.

"You didn't realize your feelings for Harry?" Luna asked disbelievingly. "It's more obvious than my feelings for Neville."

"I d-don't," Hermione stuttered. "I don't have feelings for him!"

Luna giggled and put her hand on Hermione's knee reassuringly. "It's rather obvious. You stay as close to him as you possibly can, you turn as red as a tomato whenever you touch, and whenever you look at him you don't look away until someone talks to you."

Hermione shook her head in denial. "He's my best friend."

"Neville's my best friend," Luna pointed out.

"It-it's different," Hermione said. She got off of the bed and began pacing in front of Luna and their familiars. "I do feel safe when I'm around him, my heart beats faster…"

She started to ramble on about her relationship with Harry and how the thought of there being more both excited and terrified her.

While Luna watched Hermione worry over her feelings for Harry, she began to feel better about her feelings for Neville.

Suddenly Hermione stopped pacing and burst into laughter. Luna and Ivy exchanged confused glances before turning back to Hermione.

"_Hermione_?" Ivy asked tentatively. "_Are you okay_?"

Hermione turned to face them and started to clutch her stomach. "I'm okay," she choked out. "I just can't believe that I never noticed it before! I'm supposed to be the brightest witch in my year and I can't even realize that I bloody love Harry Potter!"

Luna stared at Hermione for a few moments before she started laughing with her. "We're quite a pair aren't we?"

Hermione nodded and flopped back on her bed. She hugged Ivy close and tried to control her laughing. "It's not like he would ever return my feelings," she said when she finally managed to stop laughing.

"Don't say that!" Luna protested. "You're an amazing person! You're loyal, intelligent, caring, strong and beautiful. There's no reason why he wouldn't love you back." She smiled when she withheld the fact that Harry already returned her feelings. _They'll have to figure that out for themselves_, she thought.

The two girls talked about their newfound feelings for their best friends for almost an hour. It wasn't until Ivy let out a huge yawn when they remembered just how exhausted they all were.

"I think it's time we went to bed," Luna said while she held her arm out for Fay to perch. "Thank you for listening Hermione."

Hermione laughed. "Thank you for helping me realize what I had been denying."

The two girls laughed again. They bid each other good night and Luna left Hermione and Ivy alone. Once the door was closed, Hermione sighed deeply and collapsed onto her bed. Without a word, she waved her vine wand and the lights in her room turned off and she fell asleep.

Ivy stayed awake and waited until Hermione was fast asleep. When she was sure, she leapt off of the bed and opened the door with a flick of her tail. After making sure that the hallway was deserted, she quietly trotted down the hall, closing the door behind her with another tail flick. When she made it to her destination, she opened the door and cautiously poked her head inside.

"_Kex_," she whispered, loud enough for the pine marten to hear, but soft enough so Harry wouldn't.

Even in the darkness of the room, Ivy could see Kex lift his head up from the bed. Without a word, he leapt onto the floor and ran over to the door.

"_What is it_?" he asked tiredly. "_I'm exhausted_."

Ivy rolled her eyes and motioned with her tail for Kex to follow her into the hallway. The tired familiar obliged and closed the door behind them.

"_I think it's time that we give Hermione and Harry a little push_," Ivy said bluntly.

Kex's ears twitched in amusement. He knew exactly what Ivy was talking about. "_What's bringing this on_?"

"_Hermione finally realized just how much Harry means to her_."

Kex squealed happily. "_Harry knows, but he's still in a little denial. What do you want to do_?"

Ivy gave a sly fox-grin. "_I have a plan_."

The next day was a Saturday and everyone had the day off from training. Everyone's favorite way to enjoy their time off was to sleep in and, in Hermione's case, research.

When Hermione woke up at 8, she rubbed her eyes tiredly and instantly went to her wardrobe to change. She preferred to start her day with a good swim when she could, and Saturday was always the best time. Everyone ended up sleeping in until 10, which gave Hermione plenty of time to swim by herself.

Hermione brushed her teeth before throwing on her bikini. Even though they were dead, her parents would never forgive poor dental hygiene. Once she was ready, she grabbed a towel and made a move to grab her ash wand off of the nightstand.

"_Just leave it_," Ivy said while she shook herself awake.

"I need to glamour my scars," Hermione said sadly. Hiding her scars had become an instinct. She wasn't ready for her friends to see the scars.

"_Everyone always sleeps in on Saturday. You need to get used to wearing your scars with pride_," Ivy said harshly. "_That's what Master Zux always said_."

"Why should I be proud of them," Hermione demanded. "One reminds me how I was too weak at the fight in the Department of Mysteries and the other reminds me of how I couldn't save my parents. What do I have to be proud of?"

Ivy looked at Hermione sympathetically. "_You survived_," she said simply. "_You survived to become stronger. If you can't be proud of those scars, then you should wear them as a reminder of why you're fighting_."

Hermione stared at Ivy for a few minutes before she sighed and nodded. "Fine, but I'm covering up for the walk down."

"_Okay_," Ivy said with a little shrug. "_I'm going to head on down then_."

Hermione looked over her shoulder in confusion. "If you want."

The fox grinned and left the room, closing the door behind her. She sprinted to Harry's room and opened it slightly. Right away, Kex poked his head out from under the covers and winked at her. Ivy nodded and closed the door and sprinted to the pool.

Hermione joined Ivy a minute later wearing a pair of short jean shorts and a blue tank-top over her bikini. She didn't have either of her wands on her and she looked incredibly nervous. Ivy felt guilty about talking her into swimming without a glamour charm, but she knew that it was necessary.

With a heavy sigh, Hermione took off her shorts and slowly took off her tank-top. She stopped taking her shirt off halfway and looked at Ivy desperately.

"I can't do this," she choked. "I feel so hideous; I shouldn't even be wearing a bikini. I'll ask Winky to get me a one piece suit."

"_Don't you dare_," Ivy growled. She ran up to Hermione and playfully butted her leg with her head. "_You're beautiful, and I'm not the only one who thinks so_."

Hermione blushed and nodded. With shaky hands, she slowly pulled her shirt off and threw on top of her shorts before she could change her mind. Once her body was exposed, with only her bikini covering her up, she looked down at her abdomen. She choked back a sob when she saw the long scar that had been the result of Dolohov's curse and the smaller scar that had been left behind by the knife.

After she took a few calming breaths, Hermione began walking to the water's edge. She was about to take a step in when the door behind her burst open.

"Hey Hermione!" she heard Harry call.

She was so shocked that she stood frozen to the spot. Hermione grew pale and started shaking slightly.

_He's going to see_, she thought despairingly. _If I go for my clothes he'll see and if I don't turn to face him, he'll know that something's wrong_.

"Hermione?" Harry asked worriedly.

When he saw her shaking he instantly jogged up to her and put a hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Hermione flinched at his touch and Harry pulled his hand away, hurt.

"I'm sorry Mione'," Harry said softly. "Do you need a moment alone?"

Hermione almost said yes, but she felt the words get stuck in her throat. Suddenly, realization hit her so hard that it knocked the wind out of her.

_I'm tired of hiding_, she thought. _I'm so tired of hiding_.

"Don't go," Hermione said softly that Harry could barely hear her.

Harry nodded and gently put his hand back on her shoulder. "I won't."

While their humans were focusing on each other, Kex and Ivy quietly left the pool room and closed the door behind them.

The two friends stood there in silence for a few moments while Hermione collected herself. Finally she took in a shuddering breath and looked over her shoulder to look Harry in the eye.

"I've been hiding," she admitted softly.

"Hiding what?" Harry asked gently.

Slowly, she turned around with her eyes closed shut. Harry gasped in horror when he saw the long scar that went from her shoulder to her hip. He knew that the knife would leave a scar, but it shouldn't have been that long.

"Your knife wound left that?" Harry gasped.

Hermione looked puzzled for a moment before she realized what he was talking about. "This smaller scar," she said while she pointed at it, "is from the knife. This scar," she said while she traced the long scar with a trembling finger, "is from Dolohov's curse."

Harry felt his heart skip a beat. "I d-didn't know," he stuttered shamefully. "Why did you hide it?"

Hermione hastily tried to wipe away the falling tears. "Because it's hideous," she cried. "I'm hideous."

Harry immediately scowled slightly and pulled Hermione into a hug. The girl squeaked in surprise before she began crying into his shoulder. Harry gently rubbed her back and whispered comforting words into her ear.

"You're not hideous," he whispered over and over. "That scar just shows me how loyal and true a friend you are. You're not hideous."

Hermione shook her head. "I am. It's always going to be there, taunting me, reminding me of how I was too weak."

"Weak?" Harry asked, unsure he had heard correctly. "Mione' you're the strongest person I know!"

"I am?" Hermione choked out.

Harry smiled and wiped away her tears with his thumb. "Are you kidding? Not only are you an amazing witch, you're also an amazing person. You're the most important person in my life."

Hermione smiled and leaned her face into Harry's hand. Harry felt his heart start to race. Gulping hard, he gently caressed her face.

_Her skin is so soft_, Harry thought. _I can't believe how soft_.

While he looked into her anxious brown eyes, Harry felt like he couldn't look away. Holding her felt right, and seeing the hurt on her face, hurt him too. He touched his forehead to hers and quietly inhaled the scent of her hair. Hermione took in a sharp breath and Harry was afraid that he had gone too far when Hermione lifted her hand and traced Harry's lightning-bolt scar with a delicate finger.

Harry smiled tentatively and grabbed Hermione's hand in his. The spark that he felt when he touched her, the same spark that made him uncomfortable when he first felt it, now felt extremely comforting. It felt right.

At that moment, Harry ignored the warnings that were shouting in his head and listened to his heart. He lifted her chin up with his finger and slowly leaned in. He was past the point of no return, now he just wanted to act.

Their lips met, and instantly they both felt like their whole bodies were on fire. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, but she returned the kiss. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck while he wrapped his arms around her waist. At first their kiss was shy, neither of them wanting to push the other. But, then Hermione slowly deepened the kiss. Harry was more than happy to oblige.

When they came up for air they both gasped in pain. It physically hurt them to be apart. Within seconds, they were kissing again.

After they kissed for another minute, Hermione's mind finally ruled over her body. She stopped the kiss and gently pushed Harry away. It broke her heart to see the hurt in Harry's eyes, but she had to stop before they went too far.

"Harry," she whispered. "What was that?"

Harry smiled and pushed a stray hair behind her ear. "That was me, doing what I've wanted to do for a long time."

Hermione blushed and her breath quickened. "You've wanted to kiss me? Why?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Harry laughed. "You're amazing Mione', I'm just sorry that it took me so long to realize just how amazing. I'm sorry that I pushed myself on you though," he said softly. "I just couldn't stop myself. If you don't return my feelings, I perfectly understand."

Hermione's eyes suddenly filled with tears again and she started crying.

"Oh God," Harry gasped. "Please don't cry Mione', I understand, you don't like me that way."

Hermione shook her head irritably and she looked Harry in the eye. "I'm so stupid."

"Why are you stupid?" Harry asked.

Hermione smiled and kissed Harry softly on the lips. "If I had realized sooner we could have been doing this for much longer."

Harry kissed her back. "Realized what?" he whispered.

Chocolate brown eyes met emerald. Both colors were filled with so much happiness and warmth that it could melt the coldest heart.

"Realized that I love you," Hermione whispered in his ear.

Harry's heart instantly filled up with so much warmth that he thought that it would burst. "I love you too."

* * *

A/N- Contest time! I feel like hearing people's theories so I decided to make a little contest. The first person to correctly guess Slytherin's magic gets to pick an Animagus form (within reason) and I will definitely use it in my story. But that doesn't mean that one of the Heirs will have it. There have been clues in the story. Good luck and I look forward to hearing some more theories! -Phoenix


	13. Return To The Trunk Part II

A/N- Hello, I hope that everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving! Review! -Phoenix

* * *

To say that Harry was happy would have been an understatement. To say he was ecstatic would also be an understatement. There were no words to describe just how wonderful Harry felt. No word was good enough.

After they had declared their love for each other, and another passionate kiss, they sat on the edge of the pool with their feet in the water. They sat in silence, merely enjoying each other's company and comfort. Hermione had her head resting on Harry's shoulder and Harry had his arm around her waist. It had taken him too long to realize just how much she meant to him, and he was never letting her go.

He didn't know how long they sat there like that. When Hermione shifted away from him he felt his body scream to hold her again. He looked at her and felt relief when she saw her smiling at him tenderly.

She got on her knees and gave him another light kiss on the lips. "This feels right," she said warmly.

"You've got that right," he said while he kissed her back. "I think I've always wanted to do this, I just didn't realize it."

"Same here," Hermione said while she sat back down. "It really just hit me how much I love you last night."

Harry chuckled. "Last night?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "The feelings have always been there, I just didn't understand what they were."

They kissed again, only coming up for air when it was an absolute necessity. When they came up for air for the third time, Hermione smiled mischievously and pulled Harry into the pool. Harry, who still had his clothes on, gasped at the cold temperature of the water. He smirked at Hermione and retaliated by splashing her.

They kept their water war in the shallow end of the pool. By the time they were done splashing each other, they were absolutely soaked. Hermione laughed at the sight of Harry's hair plastered all over his face.

Her laughter was cut short when she looked down and saw the long, hideous scar that cut across her torso.

Sensing her abrupt change of emotions, Harry immediately waded over to her and gently traced the scar with his finger. Hermione barely suppressed a shudder at his touch.

"You're beautiful," Harry whispered. "Never think otherwise. You don't have to glamour these scars anymore. You don't have to hide anymore Mione'."

Hermione sniffed and grabbed Harry's hand. "I don't mean to be so shallow."

Harry grinned and kissed her softly. "You're not shallow."

They played in the pool until they heard a knock on the door. Hermione immediately ran to her clothes and threw the towel around her; she wasn't ready for anyone else to see her scars yet.

"Yes?" she called.

The door opened and Ivy and Kex poked their heads in, both unsure of whether or not they should be there.

"_Sorry to interrupt anything_," Ivy said anxiously. "_But Winky says that breakfast is ready_."

The familiars moved to leave the pool room when Hermione scoffed. "You set us up didn't you?"

Kex and Ivy flinched and looked incredibly nervous. "_We're sorry that we tricked you_," Kex said earnestly. "_But you're both so stubborn that you needed a push_."

Harry and Hermione glared at them. "So you lied to me and told me that Hermione wanted to talk to me," Harry accused.

"And you convinced me to leave my wands behind and to not glamour my scars," Hermione put in.

Kex looked down shamefully, but Ivy stepped into the pool room confidently. "_It was my idea_. _Can you honestly stay angry with me? Knowing that it was my trick that finally made you two realize just how much you mean to each other_?"

"We would've figured it out," Harry said defensively.

"_No you wouldn't have_," Kex disagreed while he ran up to stand next to Ivy. "_We're sorry that we had to trick you and play off of your insecurities, but we aren't sorry that we did it_."

Hermione glared at Ivy, but she couldn't bring herself to stay angry. Kneeling on the floor, she held out her arms and the fennec fox immediately sprinted over and leapt into the open arms. "Thank you. But I hope that you don't make a habit out of tricking me."

"_I didn't enjoy it either_," Ivy said. "_But I will do whatever it takes to make you happy_."

While Hermione and Ivy hugged it out, Harry glared at Kex for a few more seconds. Finally he sighed and gestured for Kex to come over. Kex quickly ran over and climbed up Harry to rest on his shoulder.

"_You're all wet_," Kex complained.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Hermione pulled me in the pool."

Hermione giggled and put Ivy down. "You should change before breakfast," she said while she dried off and put on her clothes. "You don't want to give Winky even more work by ruining the dining room."

"Alright love," he laughed.

Silence filled the poolroom and Harry was afraid that he had said the wrong thing. His fears were quickly extinguished when Hermione gave him a tender kiss on the lips.

"I like that," she whispered.

Harry wrapped his arms around her. "You're my love."

It was Ivy's reminder that everyone was waiting on them that finally broke the two apart. Hermione picked Ivy back up and led the way out of the room with Harry on her heels. When Harry went to his room to change, Hermione ran to the dining room.

Luna and Neville were already there eating breakfast. Luna gave Hermione one look before a huge smile broke out on her face.

Hermione returned the smile and blushed slightly. She gave a tentative nod but didn't say anything.

When Harry walked in the dining room, he immediately sat next to Hermione and took her hand under the table discreetly. He didn't count on Sage lying underneath the table and seeing the whole thing.

Smirking, the wolf crawled out of underneath the table and sat next to Neville. "_You owe me a juicy bone and the bed for a week_."

Neville looked from Sage to Harry and Hermione in surprise. "You guys finally got together? Damn, I bet Sage that it wouldn't happen until our second year. Now I'm going to have to share a bed with him for a week," Neville laughed. He grinned at Harry. "Way to go mate."

Both Harry and Hermione blushed a little before they put their interlocked hands on the table.

"I love her," Harry said simply. "I can't believe how lucky I am that she returns my love."

Hermione beamed and squeezed Harry's hand lovingly. "I'm the lucky one."

Harry opened his mouth to disagree when Kex dug his claws into Harry's shoulder.

"Ow! Kex what was that for?" Harry demanded.

"_It's too early to listen to the two of you debate over who loves each other more_," Kex complained. "_Do that after I've woken up_."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Fine."

They ate breakfast slowly. Harry and Hermione kept glancing at the other and smiling shyly. When they did this Luna would look at Neville discreetly and blush whenever she felt Neville look at her.

When they were done with breakfast, Hermione excused herself and went to the library with Ivy on her heels. Even though Harry wanted to stay with her, he knew that the library was her place to think and he didn't want to intrude on that time.

While Hermione did research, Harry excused himself and went to the pool room to practice his Occlumency. With Harry and Hermione gone, only Luna and Neville were left in the dining room. Fay and Sage looked at their partners expectantly before they quietly snuck out of the room.

Neville looked at Luna nervously and chuckled. "About time that they got together, huh?"

Luna nodded in agreement. "I'm glad that they're happy."

An awkward silence filled the room. Luna kept looking at Neville from underneath her eyelashes, but didn't say anything. She could see that Neville was blushing, and it made her smile.

"So," Neville began awkwardly. "How's your partial transformation? Can I help you?"

Luna smiled happily and looked into his eyes. Any excuse to be alone with him was a good excuse for her. "I would love the extra help."

They went to the training room and sat on the cold floor. They began by grasping their animal instincts. They were so practiced at the first step that it only took seconds for them. Once they both had their hold, they evened out their breath and began to search.

"Find the core," Neville instructed quietly. "Find the core of your instincts."

Luna followed the dull tug with her magic. The tug led her to the core of animal instincts. This part was easy for her; it was the next step that was difficult.

"Reach your hand out," Neville instructed.

Of course he wasn't talking about her physical hand. He was referring to her spiritual self, or more accurately, her animal self. Even though they didn't know what they were, they had the spirits of animals; they just had to be tapped into.

Luna bit her lip and struggled to move her spirit self's hand towards her core. Coordinating what her mind wanted with what her spirit did was incredibly difficult. Sweat began to pour down her face while she struggled to move her spirit self.

After a couple of minutes, Luna gasped for air and lost her grip on her core. "I lost it," she panted bitterly. "It's always the same. Why can't I do it?"

Neville smiled sympathetically and grabbed her hand in his. Immediately Luna took in a sharp gasp of air, but didn't move away. "Don't give up, try again. I'll try to help guide you with my own magic."

Luna nodded, closed her eyes and tapped into her animal instincts once again. Once she secured her grip on her instincts, she struggled to reach her spiritual hand out and grab the core. She was beginning to struggle again and just when she was about to lose it she felt Neville's magic steady her grip.

"Now," Neville commanded when he felt her hand was within reach.

Right away, Luna closed her hand around the core. She was surprised at how hot it was and it was more difficult for her to hold onto it than it was for her to grasp it.

"Is it supposed to hurt Neville?" Luna panted. "My hand feels like it's on fire."

"Open your eyes," Neville said happily.

Luna obliged and opened her eyes. She looked down at her hand to figure out why it hurt so much and gasped. Instead of looking at her slightly pale, delicate hand, she was staring at a paw. The paw was covered in very light, almost blond, brown fur and was slightly bigger than Ivy's paw.

"Wow," Luna gasped. Sweat was pouring down her face while she tried to maintain the form while she examined it. "I'm obviously a mammal, I'm small and I have retractable claws. So I'm obviously a feline though I doubt that I'm a big cat."

"Congratulations Luna," Neville said with a true smile. "I can't wait to see what your Animagus form is."

Luna returned the smile and looked Neville in the eye. "And I can't wait to see yours."

They continued to train for over an hour. By the time the hour was up, Luna didn't need Neville's guidance anymore, but neither of them let go of the other's hand.

* * *

Everyone stood in the training room wearing their battle clothes and weapons strapped on while they stretched and prepared for the day's duel. They had only a few months left in the trunk, and they were starting to duel seriously.

Harry was strapping his sword that Zux had given him to the belt of his dragonhide pants while Kex watched. The dragonhide battle clothes were a gift to his friends from himself for their fake Christmas. After his sword, which he had dubbed Darkslayer, was secure Harry smiled and picked Kex up off of the floor.

"Will you stay out of the way?" Harry asked his familiar.

Kex scowled and looked away. "_I could help_," he insisted. "_You aren't the only one who has been training you know_."

Harry immediately shook his head. "We haven't worked on our combo enough. These are serious duels and I'm not confident yet with the work that we've done."

Kex growled in anger before leaping out of Harry's arms and running towards the secure watching area. He agilely climbed on the chair and curled in a little ball to sulk.

"You've hurt his pride," Hermione said behind Harry.

Harry turned around and smiled when he saw his girlfriend. Hermione's dragonhide clothes fit her in just the right places. With the gift Harry won in two ways. He knew that Hermione was protected and he also got to see how great she looked while wearing it.

"Are you staring Harry?" Hermione asked amusedly.

"Of course," Harry answered shamelessly. "Why wouldn't I want to stare at my girlfriend whom I love?"

Hermione beamed and gave Harry a light kiss on the lips. "Hopefully you'll still love me when I beat you," she teased.

Before Harry could retort, Ivy came running up towards them. She was wearing a small dragonhide vest that covered all of her body except for her legs, tail and head without limiting her movement. It was her fake Christmas gift from Hermione. It had taken both Hermione and Winky to get the dragonhide to fit Ivy without it losing its protective qualities.

"_I'm ready Hermione_," Ivy said excitedly while she admired how the dragonhide looked on her. "_Who knew that scales would be this comfortable_?"

"You're using Ivy in your duel?" Harry asked, surprised.

Hermione nodded and secured her quiver to her back along with her bow. "Ivy and I have been practicing something that we want to use against an opponent. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve Potter," she smirked.

Harry laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I know that you've got some tricks. Merlin knows that you surprise me every single day."

Hermione smiled lovingly and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck.

"Save the lovey dovey stuff for after the duel," Neville laughed.

Harry and Hermione turned towards Neville. Neville was walking into the training room wearing his dragonhide armor with Sage trotting on his left and Luna, with Fay on her shoulder, on his right.

"You're one to talk," Harry joked while he pointed to Neville's and Luna's interlocked hands.

They laughed with Harry and Hermione before sharing a light, but passionate kiss. Shortly after Neville had helped Luna with her partial transformation they both realized just how much they loved each other and they had been a couple ever since.

"I can't bear to let her go," Neville said passionately while he looked Luna in the eye.

"I'm afraid that you'll have to for our duels," Hermione pointed out.

Neville gave an exaggerated sigh and took his hand back. Turning to Sage he said, "Time to head to the sidelines pal."

The large, powerful wolf whined and his tail drooped. "_No fair_," he whined. "_Ivy gets to fight_."

Neville glanced over at the fennec fox for the first time and raised an eyebrow at the dragonhide. "Knowing Hermione and Ivy, they've been practicing something wicked and they want to try it out."

"Guilty," Hermione and Ivy said at the same time. "We do have something to show," Hermione said slyly with a slight fox grin.

It never ceased to amaze the others just how fox-like Hermione had become during their time in the trunk. She was incredibly tricky to figure out during a duel, she always did something unexpected. What she lacked in sheer power, she made up for in wit and cunning.

"Anyway," Harry interjected before Neville or Sage could respond. "Who would like to go first?"

Immediately Neville raised his hand. Next to Harry, Neville had the most magical power. He smiled and secured his sword that was attached to his own dragonhide armor and tightened the leather straps that secured his shield to his back.

"Okay Neville, who do you want to take on?" Harry asked.

"Do you even need to ask?" Neville laughed while he returned Hermione's sly smile. "I want to see what tricks that you've got up your sleeve."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Let's do this."

Harry, Luna, Fay and Sage quickly went to join Sage in the observation area. Once they were all within the boundaries, Harry activated the permanent safety runes that Hermione had placed there. While they were getting comfortable, Neville and Hermione with Ivy in tow stood about twenty feet apart with their hands free of any of their weapons.

"May the better fighter win," Neville said with his bright smile.

Hermione couldn't help but return the smile. "No fatal wounds, the first one to incapacitate the other wins."

"Agreed," Neville said.

Before they began, Hermione looked down at Ivy who was fidgeting anxiously by her feet. "You'll do great," Hermione assured her. "You're my ace in the hole."

Ivy smiled gratefully and gave herself a quick shake before she got into an offensive position.

Over on the sidelines they could hear Sage sigh enviously, but neither of them looked.

"On the count of three," Hermione said and Neville nodded in agreement.

"One…two…three!"

Immediately, Hermione dropped to her knees and rolled in the opposite direction of Ivy to avoid Neville's stunner. Before Hermione could stand back up, Neville was rushing towards her with his sword drawn.

Hermione quickly grabbed the bow off of her back and used it to parry Neville's strikes. Because the bow was goblin made, nothing could break it, not even another goblin made weapon. Neville kept on the offensive and kept pushing Hermione back. Before he could knock her bow out of her hands, Hermione grabbed an arrow out of her quiver and jabbed it into Neville's sword hand, forcing him to drop his sword.

Neville cursed and quickly leapt back a few paces before he grabbed a handful of leaves out of his pocket and rubbed them on the wound. Immediately the wound shrunk before it was healed altogether.

"Come on Hermione," he said while he pocketed the leaves. "You could have easily driven that arrow all the way through my hand. No holding back."

Hermione smiled apologetically and grabbed another arrow. She expertly set it in the bow and drew it back. Making sure that she wasn't aiming for a vital point, she pumped some of her magic into the arrowhead before releasing. The arrow flew and hit Neville in the shoulder, barely piercing his armor. From the sidelines they could hear Luna gasp at the slight flow of blood, but Neville and Hermione were too focused on each other to notice.

With a grunt, Neville pulled the arrow out of his shoulder and drew his birch wand. With a precise flick he yelled "_Impediment_!"

Hermione cursed when she felt her movements become slow and sluggish. Panic began to rise in her when she saw Neville point his wand at her chest.

"Sorry Hermione," Neville said with a triumphant smirk. "_Fumunculus!" _

Before the spell could hit her and cover her with boils, Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated all of her energy on the bond she had with Ivy. She disappeared with a barely audible 'crack' right before the spell made contact.

Neville looked around confusedly with his wand raised. He scanned the room with his wand raised. "Where are you Hermione?" he mumbled.

As if to answer his question, a sharp pain in his wrist broke through his dragonhide armor causing him to drop his wand. He looked down and was shocked to see that Ivy was standing in front of him with her teeth bared in a snarl.

Neville reached for his wand, but Ivy sent it across the room with a flick of her tail. Ivy smirked slightly and began running through Neville's legs.

"What the bloody hell are you two doing?" Neville demanded exasperatedly.

His question was answered once again when he felt his legs lock together, just barely crushing Ivy. Cursing loudly, he fell to the ground.

"_Leg lock curse_," Ivy said smugly.

"How?" Neville gasped.

Ivy gave her fox grin. "_That's just one of our tricks_."

Neville drew his old wand and yelled "_Stupefy_!"

The fox jumped high in the air to avoid it and rolled off to the side. There was another soft 'crack' as Hermione separated from her familiar. Both were smiling happily that they had successfully used a spell together without a wand. While they were grinning, Neville summoned his birch wand and was desperately trying to cancel the curse in order to allow him some mobility.

"Why is this curse so strong," he mumbled.

"Don't you remember what I told you?" Hermione asked. "When a true familiar adds their magic to our own, a spell can be twice as strong even without the use of a wand."

Neville cursed and pumped more power into the counter curse. While he was struggling, Hermione knelt on the floor next to Ivy and closed her eyes.

"Time for trick number two," Hermione smirked.

From the sidelines Harry and Luna half expected Hermione to Body Merge with Ivy again, but they quickly noticed that Hermione wasn't the one releasing the energy needed to do the merge. Everyone gasped in shock when they heard the familiar 'crack' of apparition, but Hermione stayed where she was.

Hermione swayed and had to use her hands to brace herself. Once she was somewhat steady, she stood up and opened her eyes.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, disbelieving from his spot on the sidelines.

Hermione looked towards him, but not through the chocolate-brown eyes that he loved so much. Instead she was looking through Ivy's black eyes.

"Well this feels weird," Hermione commented while she rubbed her eyes.

While Hermione was disoriented, Neville managed to release the leg locking spell. He pulled his shield off of his back and gently placed it on the floor to the side.

"You aren't the only one with tricks up their sleeves," Neville said seriously.

"_Don't Neville_!" Sage barked, alarmed.

For once, Neville didn't listen to his beloved familiar. He sheathed his wands and took in a few shuddering breaths.

"_What's he doing_?" Hermione heard Ivy ask in her head.

"I don't know," Hermione whispered.

Neville suddenly crashed to his knees and started trembling violently.

"Neville!" Luna cried out worriedly. Turning to Hermione she demanded, "What did you do to him?"

"I haven't done anything!" Hermione shouted back.

While Luna and Harry tried to deactivate the runes quickly, Hermione ran up to Neville and placed a gentle hand on his back.

"Neville what's wrong?" Hermione asked.

Neville suddenly turned his head towards her and Hermione recoiled when she saw that his eyes were dark and animalistic.

"What the…" Hermione began.

"_Hermione get away from him_!" Sage ordered.

Before Hermione could get away from him, Neville's body gave one large spasm. He cried out in agony, but the cry turned into a howl. With more force than Hermione thought possible, Neville knocked her back twenty feet. Hermione cried out in pain when she felt a rib break and she felt her eyes widen in horror when Neville's form changed and his robes tore.

Standing twenty feet away and looking at her savagely was an incredibly large brown wolf that stood over five feet tall. The wolf stared at her hungrily, and before anyone could act, it lunged for Hermione.

* * *

A/N- I know that I said that I would limit the trunk to two chapters, but I couldn't resist ending the chapter at this point. Next chapter will definitely be the last trunk chapter (for now at least lol). Still no winner for the contest, and if no one guesses correctly by the time I reveal Slytherin's magic no one wins. Please review! -Phoenix


	14. Hunted

A/N- Normally I would go for more discreet Animagus forms, but seeing as how they can be discreet by body merging with their familiars I decided to go a little more flashy. –Phoenix

* * *

Hermione sat on the floor frozen while Neville began charging at her. The robes that he had been wearing hadn't transformed with him like the dragonhide had and were hanging loosely all over the wolf's body.

"Hermione!" Harry called out desperately. "Get out of the way!"

Hearing Harry's voice helped Hermione snap out of her initial shock and roll out of the way just before Neville's massive paws crashed where she had been seconds before. Tears began to fill her eyes as her rib seared painfully.

"Hermione we have to force him out of his Animagus form," Ivy said in her head, her voice filled with the same pain that Hermione felt.

"I know," Hermione said through clenched teeth while she hugged her ribs. "I'll have to cast a homorphus charm; I'll need your help though."

Hermione felt Ivy nod in her head in agreement. Wincing, Hermione pulled out her ash wand and pointed it at Neville who was slowly stalking towards her with his lips pulled back into a hungry snarl.

Before she could cast the charm though, Neville leapt at her again and dug his teeth into her leg. Had Hermione not been wearing dragonhide, there was a strong possibility that Neville would have bitten right through her leg. Hermione screamed in agony and struggled to maintain the body merge with Ivy. Even though the dragonhide had absorbed most of the impact, Neville's teeth still dug into her leg and it hurt.

Hermione aimed her ash wand in-between Neville's eyes and shouted "_Stupefy_!"

The large wolf that was Neville was thrown back across the room, but he didn't fall unconscious like he should have.

"That wolf is impervious to stunners?" Ivy asked, terrified. "How do you perform the homorphus charm?"

"That's what I'm trying to remember," Hermione panted. "I didn't expect any of us to achieve our Animagus form for another couple months at best."

Hermione hastily stopped the bleeding with her wand, but couldn't heal the wound. Before Neville could charge her again, she struggled to her feet and yelled_ "Impediment!"_ while aiming at Neville.

Neville, who was beginning to charge her, began to slow down, but he quickly shook the spell off and began running at Hermione full speed.

Out of instinct, Hermione used elf apparition to get out of the way just before Neville's massive paws could touch her. She reappeared right in front of the protected observing area where Harry and Luna were frantically trying to deactivate the runes.

"Damn Hermione," Harry grunted while he poured his magic into the runes. "These runes are strong; you have to get out of here!"

Hermione shook her head and leaned against the barrier in exhaustion while she kept a wary on Neville who was slowly stalking towards her. "They need to be deactivated from both sides, I've been designing this so that they're impenetrable, I guess I was too thorough."

"Then let us out!" Luna cried while she brokenly watched her boyfriend stalk her best friend like a piece of fresh kill.

Hermione lifted her ash wand to deactivate the runes, but hesitated. "I won't let Neville get you too," she said determinedly while she turned away from the barrier.

"Hermione I can't apparate out of this barrier! You have to let us out, you're injured and won't stand a chance against Neville," Harry shouted desperately.

"I just need time to think," Hermione snapped.

Neville got tired of stalking and sprinted towards the barrier. Right before Neville made contact Hermione apparated to the other side of the room, causing Neville to slam full force into the barrier.

Neville yelped in pain and began striking at the barrier in a fury. Inside the barrier Harry had pushed Luna and the familiars behind him and had his alder wand risen just in case the barrier fell.

"Neville please," Luna begged. "Regain control of yourself!"

Neville snarled at Luna and turned around to sprint once again towards Hermione.

"_Averte Statura_!" Hermione shouted.

The snarl quickly turned into a yelp as Neville was thrown across the room. Once Neville was back on his feet his eyes blazed in anger. With another howl, Neville came running towards Hermione.

"Hermione!" Harry cried desperately while he watched Neville close the distance and Hermione standing firm.

"_Do you remember_?" Ivy asked nervously. When Hermione nodded, Ivy sighed in relief and began adding her magic with Hermione's for the spell

"Sorry Neville," Hermione whispered. With a complicated wand movement and Ivy adding her magic, Hermione cast the spell, aiming right for Neville.

The spell hit Neville right in the chest. As soon as the spell made contact, Neville's body gave one big spasm before he collapsed to the ground and transformed back.

Neville coughed violently for a minute before looking around confusedly. He looked in front of him and saw Hermione eyeing him nervously through Ivy's eyes. He was about to ask what was wrong when he saw how she was clutching her ribs and her bleeding leg.

"Merlin," Neville gasped. He immediately got to his feet and helped Hermione sit down. "I'm so sorry Hermione; I thought that I could control it."

"It's alright Neville," Hermione said while she closed her eyes in concentration.

There was the familiar 'crack' as Ivy separated from Hermione. The fox immediately lied down on the floor and limited her movement.

_"Where's Winky?" Ivy asked. "You need to get your rib and leg healed; I feel the same pain that you do remember."_

Hermione smiled. "Winky is out with Dobby shopping. We'll live until they get back."

Ivy sighed exaggeratingly but didn't complain again.

"Could you release the runes Neville?" Hermione asked. "I apparently did too good a job."

Neville chuckled bitterly and slowly walked over to the barrier. He took his wand and deactivated the runes from the outside while Harry deactivated them from the inside.

As soon as the barrier was gone, Harry sprinted towards Hermione with Kex behind him. Luna stayed with Neville and tentatively reached her hand out to grab Neville's. As soon as he saw her reach out to him, Neville pulled back sorrowfully.

"I'm not safe Luna," Neville whispered. "You were right Sage, I couldn't control it. Because of my pride I nearly killed one of my best friends."

"You're not dangerous," Luna urged him. "You'll learn to control it. I can't imagine that it's easy to hang onto your humanity when you're a dire wolf."

"So that's what I am," Neville said sourly. "I'm a monster."

Without another word, Neville turned and ran down the hall towards the pool. Luna hesitated for a brief second before she got a determined look on her face and sprinted after him. Their familiars watched them sadly, but didn't follow. Instead Sage slowly walked over to Harry and Hermione with Fay perched on his back.

When they got to Hermione, Sage sat down next to Ivy heavily and looked at Hermione apologetically_._

_"I'm sorry Hermione,"_ he said truthfully_. "I warned him that his form felt more primal than yours, but he insisted that he could control it."_

Hermione waved away his apology. "Neville has been practicing on his own hasn't he?"

Sage hesitated a moment before nodding_. "He enjoyed being the leader of something other than Herbology. Despite all the time that we've spent together, he still doubts himself. He almost did a full transformation the other night, and I felt the blood thirst that he felt so I bit him before he finished. He'll never want to change again after this,"_ Sage said sorrowfully_._

"I'm sure that Luna can help make him feel better," Hermione assured the wolf_._

Harry glared slightly towards where Neville had run, but he quickly brushed it off and replaced it with concern for his girlfriend. "We should get you into bed so you can rest until Winky gets back. Are you sure that you don't want me to call for her?"

"Don't you dare Harry," Hermione said. "Winky and Dobby never get time to themselves, I will not ruin it."

Harry knew better than to argue with Hermione. As gently as he could, he picked her up bridal style. Hermione whimpered in pain as the adrenaline of the attack began to wear off and she felt the full extent of her injuries.

"I'm right here," Harry soothed her.

Hermione nodded and took in deep painful breaths. "I'm okay," she assured him. "Moving just hurts."

Harry laughed at her stubbornness. "Love, you were knocked back over twenty feet, broke a rib and nearly got your leg torn off by a dire wolf. It's okay to admit that you're in pain."

"It feels like I'm always the one who's hurt," Hermione sighed.

"You haven't been critically injured in years," Harry teased her. "This won't put a bad mark on your record."

Hermione stuck her tongue out playfully. Harry laughed in response and began walking towards her room with the familiars following. Sage crouched down so Ivy could climb on his back and followed sadly.

When they got to Hermione's room, Fay opened the door with a flick of her wing. Harry immediately walked over to the bed and put Hermione down as gently as he could. Hermione winced in pain a little, but didn't cry out.

"We need to get your dragonhide off," Harry said with a light blush.

Hermione blushed as well. "We should wait for Luna."

"I'm your boyfriend Hermione," Harry pointed out. "It's not like we're…well you know."

"Fine," Hermione consented.

Taking care to hurt her as little as possible, Harry gently took the dragonhide shirt that Hermione was wearing. Hermione whimpered slightly, but Harry kept going until he got the dragonhide off. Underneath her dragonhide, Hermione was wearing a sweat-soaked tank-top. After Harry set the dragonhide shirt aside he anxiously looked at the dragonhide pants.

"This will hurt more I think," Harry said sadly. "It looks like Neville's teeth actually embedded some dragonhide in your leg. I'm going to call Winky."

"No," Hermione said firmly. To show that she wasn't budging, she stiffly began to take off the dragonhide.

When Harry saw that her mind was made up he sighed and helped her take the dragonhide off.

"I didn't think that I would be doing this until our wedding night," Harry commented.

Hermione's laugh turned into a hiss when the dragonhide went over her leg. Without stopping, Harry pulled the rest of the dragonhide off. Once the dragonhide was off he helped Hermione into a pair of shorts before he inspected the wound.

The wound wasn't as deep as it was wide. It was about three inches long and about an inch deep. Harry picked out the dragonhide that was on the surface, but didn't feel comfortable going deeper for any more pieces.

With a disgusted grunt, Harry threw the bloodied dragonhide into the trash bin. "How come the dragonhide didn't protect you completely?"

Hermione leaned against her pillows with a sigh. "If I wasn't wearing dragonhide Neville would have probably taken my leg off. Dragonhide is incredibly useful for duels, but it isn't impenetrable. Did you see how Ivy was able to pierce through the dragonhide that Neville was wearing just enough for him to drop his wand?"

"I just wish that it could have protected you more," Harry said while he gently stroked Hermione's face.

"It protected me enough," Hermione responded as she took Harry's hand in her own.

While Harry was tending to Hermione, Neville was pacing in the pool room while his mind was riddled with guilt. He continued to pace until he heard the door open behind him.

"Stay away Luna," Neville said miserably. "I don't want to hurt you."

Behind him Luna smiled sadly and walked towards him. When she reached him she put her hand on his shoulder and gently forced him to turn around to look at her.

"I know that you would never hurt me," Luna said confidently.

"You can't know that!" Neville yowled in agony. "If I'm capable of hurting Hermione, I'm capable of hurting you! You have to stay away from me."

Without waiting for Luna's reply, Neville shrugged her hand off and stomped towards the edge of the pool.

"I'll never transform again," Neville whispered, barely loud enough for Luna to hear. "I'll go back to only being the best at Herbology. If being the best means hurting the people I care about, then I don't want to be the best."

Luna followed him to the pool edge and sat down. She patted the ground next to her. Neville sighed deeply before obliging and sat down next to her. "Don't you dare sell my boyfriend short," Luna told him. "My Neville is incredibly loyal and powerful, which is evident through Sage and your Animagus form. He is compassionate, enthusiastic, and funny and he always puts others before himself. My Neville is a truly wonderful wizard."

Neville rest his head on Luna's shoulder and struggled to fight back tears. "Your Neville nearly killed your best friend in there," he whispered softly.

Luna closed her eyes in pain at the memory. "I refuse to let you give up on yourself Neville. We'll work together on your control. I refuse to lose you like that again."

Neville lifted his head off of Luna's shoulder and looked her right in the eye. "I could hurt you," he began.

"Then we'll work long and hard to prevent that," Luna interrupted him. "We need you Neville. There's going to be a war and I wouldn't feel safe without you by my side, be it in skin or fur."

"I love you Luna," Neville whispered.

"I love you too," Luna replied.

The two shared one passionate kiss on the edge of the pool. They could overcome anything together, and their love would never waver.

* * *

After a couple more months their time in the trunk was at its end. They still had more to learn, but they were on a whole other level than any other student in Hogwarts. The four best friends and their familiars stood in the training room, waiting on the other two of their group.

One thing that they hadn't given much thought about was the change in their physical appearances as they were each nearly three years older, though they doubted that the Ministry trace was lifted. Harry and Neville were both nearing six feet and had noticeable muscles. Harry still had a leaner, muscular build and Neville had more of a bulky build. Neville's brown hair now reached his shoulders and he tended to pull it back in a ponytail while Harry preferred to keep his shaggy hair incredibly short.

The girls were both well-muscled, but neither of them was bulky. Their muscles were lean and gave them a more graceful look. Luna had her long hair cut so that it barely reached her chin while Hermione had finally managed to get her bushy mane under control so that it was only slightly curly. Like everyone else, Hermione had adopted a new hair style and preferred to keep her hair at shoulder length.

"What do you think is Dobby and Winky's surprise?" Neville asked after they had been waiting for a while. Beside him Sage grunted in agreement.

"I don't know," Harry responded. Turning to Hermione he smirked. "Hermione maybe you should use Legilimency on them," he teased.

Hermione rolled her eyes. The witch far exceeded everyone at Occlumency and was now close to mastering Legilimency. Even though everyone's mental shields were strong, when Hermione was giving it her all she could break through them in a second.

"You know I never use Legilimency on anyone unless I have permission," Hermione said with a playful scorn. With a sad smile she added, "I know that I'll have to use it on people a lot when we go back to school though. Hopefully Dumbledore and Snape won't notice if I have to dig a little."

"No worries Hermione," Luna assured her. "You're so subtle that we don't even notice you're in our head unless you tell us."

Hermione seemed a little assured. Before anyone could say anything else, Dobby and Winky came running in the room each carrying a large bundle that looked too big for them. Then ran right up to the group and put their bundles on the floor.

"Winky and Dobby is being done with their surprise," Winky said excitedly. "Masters and Misses have been working so hard training, and Winky and Dobby wanted to make something that might help."

"You didn't have to make us anything," Harry said at once.

Winky smiled and began digging through the pile in front of her. Her smile widened when she pulled out a small piece of cloth. The cloth was a dark green and seemed to have holes cut into it. When she held it in front of her, everyone could see that it was a small vest.

"Does Master Harry remember the cloth that Goblin Warrior Zux gave him?" Winky asked. "Winky and Dobby has been using their magic all this time to strengthen the cloth. Winky also bought some more dragonhide and sewed it on the outside of the cloth so that the cloth is protected by physical and magical attacks. Winky made vests for Masters, Misses and their familiars."

Harry gaped and he took the small vest from Winky. "This is the cloth that can shield us from muggle's view?"

Winky smiled proudly. "It can be doing more than that Master Harry. Winky and Dobby put much magic into the vests, they can shield you from muggles when activated, shield from basic spells and they can work like Master Harry's invisibility cloak."

She grabbed another small vest and walked over to Ivy. She helped the little fox into the vest and as soon as Ivy had her legs in the holes, the front closed as if it was zippered. Ivy twisted to admire her vest and seemed to enjoy how the vest magically altered itself to fit her.

"_This is really comfortable_," Ivy commented. "_It doesn't shield as much as my dragonhide armor, but I can feel the magic in it. How do I make myself invisible_?"

Winky beamed and handed the rest of familiars their vests. While the familiars were helped in their vests, Winky explained how to use them. "They can block you from muggle's view, but you can still be seen by wizards. To do this, you needs to focus your magic into the vest while just picturing muggles. To become completely invisible you needs to focus your magic into a disillusionment charm in your vest."

Ivy nodded and focused her magic into a disillusionment charm. She was shocked at how easy it was for her to cast it, normally it took all of her strength to cast basic spells without Hermione. She looked around after she was done with the charm and looked expectantly at Hermione.

"We can't see your Ivy," Hermione said excitedly. "You're completely invisible!"

Ivy looked at her body and smirked when she saw nothing. She focused her magic again and canceled the charm. "_This is amazing spell work_!"

Harry eagerly took his vest from Winky and put it on. The vest immediately closed and Harry tested out the invisibility magic. When he vanished completely he laughed in delight. "I won't have to worry about carrying my cloak around with me now! If we wear these under our robes we'll be able to sneak away without being noticed any time! Winky, do you think Dumbledore or Moody will be able to see through the magic on these vests?"

Winky immediately shook her head and gave Hermione, Neville and Luna their vests. "They is being made by house elf magic Master Harry. No wizard is being able to see through them. Winky and Dobby is unsure about other house elves though, Winky and Dobby didn't want to test them on other untrustworthy elves."

Everyone showered their favorite house elves with praises about the vests, making them beam with pride. Dobby kept insisting that they were all done by Winky, but Winky rebuked him saying that she couldn't have done it without him.

After everyone was done talking about the vests, they all looked at each other sadly. Neville and Luna both carried large satchels on their backs which carried most of their belongings. Even though Harry assured them that the rooms that they stayed in would always be theirs, they were moving back to their homes. Silently, Harry led the way to the foyer. They all generally avoided the area, and now they were dreading it.

When they reached the staircase, Harry stood to the side and motioned for Neville to lead the way. "We'll be up shortly, I want to talk to Hermione alone for a minute," Harry said.

Neville looked from Hermione back to Harry and grinned. "No problem mate, we'll wait for you on the outside."

Harry nodded in appreciation and motioned for Kex and Ivy to follow them. The familiars smirked as well and quickly followed the rest up the stairs. When Harry heard the trunk open and close, he turned to a very confused Hermione.

"Harry are you alright?" Hermione asked in concern. "You've been a little off for a few weeks. Are you afraid of leaving the trunk?"

"A little," Harry admitted. "But I've actually had something else on my mind." He took Hermione's hand in his own and squeezed it gently. "Mione', I love you with all my heart and I wish that I could have taken you on our first date a long time ago."

Hermione shook her head. "We have been on a date."

Harry grinned lovingly. "A dinner made by Winky by the pool does not count. I want to take you places and show you off. I want to cry in the Great Hall that Hermione Granger is my girlfriend. Three years ago, I would have been afraid of making you a bigger target for Voldemort, but even though I can get insanely protective I know that you are more than capable of defending yourself. I want to openly declare my love for you."

Hermione's eyes shone with tears and she kissed Harry tenderly. "And I you. You know that you mean the world to me. I want to be with you forever Harry."

"Forever?" Harry repeated.

"Forever," Hermione assured him with another kiss.

Harry returned the kiss before he took a step back to Hermione's disappointment. Her disappointment turned to shock when Harry pulled out a small box from his pocket and got down on one knee.

"Marry me."

* * *

A/N- Ha! I am evil. Happy Holidays to everyone, this will be my last chapter until after Christmas. I have finals next week and I'm going home after that. I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday. Next chapter: Hermione's answer and the Hogwart's Express. - Phoenix


	15. Outside World

A/N- I hope that everyone had a nice holiday! Thank you for being patient for the update. Updates for this story might start coming a bit later than usual because I'm starting to work on another story. When I publish my other story I'll alternate my updates.

* * *

Hermione's jaw dropped in shock as she stared at Harry. Her boyfriend was practically glowing and it took a great deal of self-control for Hermione to not kiss him right then and there. Harry opened the box to reveal the engagement ring and Hermione gasped when she looked at the ring.

The ring was made out of silver and gold. The silver and gold wound around each other to form the band. There was an elegant sized diamond on the ring with a small emerald and ruby on each side.

"This was my mother's engagement ring," Harry explained. "The silver and gold represents two people coming together to make something beautiful. I had the goblins add the ruby and emerald to represent us."

Hermione continued to stare at Harry in shock. "Harry we're still so young." When Harry's smile fell she got down on her knees and took Harry's hands in her own. "Hear me out," she pleaded. "Nothing would make me happier than to marry you, but I just need to be sure that you're positive about this. There are dozens of witches who would be better for a Lord of two houses to marry. When you do go public, there will be protests about Lady Potter-Black being a muggleborn."

Harry's frown turned into a loving smile and he squeezed Hermione's hands gently. "There may be better witches for a Lord, but there are no better witches for Harry Potter. I want to marry you because you love me for me. You don't need to worry about being a poor Lady Potter-Black, because I know that you will be amazing at it just like you're amazing at everything else that you do. I want you by my side for the rest of my life Mione'. Will you, Hermione Jean Granger, be my wife?"

Looking into Harry's loving green gaze erased all of Hermione's doubts. All she could see was the future that she could have with him. She could picture him caring for her, comforting her, being her best friend and someday being the father of her children.

"Yes," Hermione said confidently. "I will marry you Harry James Potter."

Harry's smile, if possible, grew in size. He took the ring out of the box and gently put it on Hermione's ring finger. As soon as the ring was on, it magically altered itself to fit perfectly.

Tears filled Hermione's eyes and she pulled Harry into a passionate kiss. They kissed for a few minutes until Harry pulled away and gently caressed Hermione's face.

"I bet that we have an eager audience waiting for us," Harry laughed. "I think everyone knew that I was planning to propose to you today."

"It still surprised me," Hermione giggled. She looked at the ring and felt her heart warm up. Just as soon as the warm feeling came it went and was replaced with a coldness that filled her whole chest.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked when he sensed Hermione's abrupt change of emotion.

Hermione sniffed and quickly rubbed her eyes. "I just wish that my parents were here. I wish that they could see how happy you've made me. My dad won't be able to walk me down the aisle. My mom won't be able to help me with the wedding plans. There's just so much that I still need them for and they aren't here. I wish that I could talk to them again."

Harry smiled sadly and pulled Hermione into a hug. "You can still talk to them, and I'm sure that they'll hear you. Do you want to visit their graves? This time I'll be by your side the whole time."

"I'd like that," Hermione said softly.

After Hermione wiped her eyes again, she took Harry's hand and let him lead the way out of the trunk.

When they stepped out of the trunk they were immediately bombarded by their friends and the familiars. Luna pulled Hermione aside and laughed happily when she saw the ring on Hermione's finger. Ivy circled around Hermione's legs and looked up at the ring.

"_So this ring shows that you're Harry's mate_?" Ivy questioned.

Hermione laughed and picked the little fox up. She held the ring out in front of her and couldn't help smiling at the thought of being Harry's wife. "I suppose it does," Hermione said.

"Congratulations mate," Neville said cheerfully while he clapped Harry on the back. "Just in time for our return to Hogwarts. I'd bet that you're going to break quite a few witch's hearts this year."

Harry laughed joyfully. "Hermione's heart is the only one that I care about, just like Luna's is the only one that you care about."

Neville laughed in return and walked over to the door. "I think it's time to see Gran. I've actually missed her criticisms."

"Lead the way Neville," Luna said while she took Neville's hand in her own.

Neville lead the group to his grandmother's office. They passed a couple of house elves on the way who seemed happy at their masters return. When they got to the office, Neville took in a deep breath and knocked loudly on the door.

"Come in," they heard Augusta's voice call irritably.

"I've missed her," Neville whispered to Luna.

With an air of confidence that he didn't have at the beginning, Neville opened the door and walked into the office. Augusta was buried in paperwork at her desk and didn't even look up to see who entered her office.

"Leave my tea on the desk," Augusta ordered.

Neville smirked. "Oh shoot, I didn't know that I was supposed to bring you a present."

Augusta dropped the quill she was holding in shock. Slowly, she looked up at her visitors. Her eyes zoned in on Neville and they grew twice their normal size.

"You're back," she stated.

Faster than anyone, even Neville, thought possible, Augusta got up and ran straight to Neville. Even though Neville had a good foot on her now, she pulled him into a hug. Neville stammered in shock and confusion when he saw that there were tears in his grandmother's eyes.

"Gran what's wrong?" Neville asked in alarm. "Did something happen?"

Augusta looked up at Neville sharply. "Can't an old woman miss her grandson?" she demanded. Her eyes softened and she pulled away. "You look like a man now. Your parents would be proud." She turned to Luna and her eyes immediately followed Luna's hand to see that it was still intertwined with Neville's. "Why don't you Floo your father and have him come here. Then you can tell us both together how your training went."

Luna nodded eagerly and she went right up to the fireplace. While Luna was calling her father, Harry turned to Augusta.

"What's the date?" he asked.

"You have one week until the train leaves," Augusta told him. "In order to keep up appearances, I'll take you and Neville to Diagon Alley tomorrow."

Harry nodded and took a seat next to Hermione. As soon as they were comfortable, the fire blazed to life and Luna's father stepped out. He had barely brushed the ash off of his robes when he was engulfed in a hug by his daughter. He returned the hug and murmured into her hair how much he had missed her.

"Why don't we sit down and let them tell their stories," Augusta said gently.

The father and daughter reluctantly pulled away and sat down. Augusta called for an elf to bring them refreshments and settled herself to hear her grandson's stories.

Before they could start talking, the door opened and a house elf ran in followed by a very irritated Hedwig. As soon as Hedwig saw Harry, she flew straight to him and shoved Kex off of his shoulder so that she could perch on it. Kex landed in Harry's lap and spat angrily, but didn't act.

"Hi girl," Harry said between winces while Hedwig nipped at his ears. "I'm sorry that we haven't seen each other for a few weeks. Did you enjoy staying here at Longbottom Manor?"

Hedwig hooted irritably and continued to nip at her master's ears. Everyone watched the exchange with amusement, except for Kex. The pine marten looked up at them jealously before he leapt over to Hermione's chair and climbed up on her shoulder.

"He loves you both," Hermione assured him quietly.

Kex didn't answer. He got comfortable and ignored the snowy owl that had taken his spot.

After pleasantries were exchanged, everyone shared their stories and details about their time in the trunk. They spent almost two hours going over everything that had happened from Dumbledore's mirror to all of the magic that they had learned. The only thing that Harry and his friends didn't tell was the fact that they were all illegal Animagi. Before they left the trunk they had all agreed that the fewer people who knew about their forms the better, and that included family.

When they were done exchanging stories, Luna bid them a tearful farewell and gave Neville a passionate kiss before leaving with her father. They all agreed to meet in Diagon Alley the next day to do some shopping. Hermione would go by herself and claim that her parents had dropped her off.

"It's almost time for dinner," Augusta said while she stiffly stood up. "Neville why don't you go unpack and all of you can wash up."

"Actually Augusta," Harry spoke up. "Hermione and I were going to go out to celebrate our engagement."

Augusta's eyes flashed towards the ring on Hermione's hand and she looked at Harry seriously. "That's perfectly okay Harry, but I feel that I must warn you to be prepared for much scandal when you take your two seats and it's revealed that you're marrying a muggleborn. But don't worry about that now, tonight just celebrate. Congratulations you two."

"Thank you," Harry and Hermione said.

Neville went to his room with Sage, Ivy and Kex following him. Hedwig gave Harry another hard stare before she left them too.

Harry took Hermione's hand in his own and apparated them both back to the trunk. They showered and got dressed in their finest clothes. When they were ready, they met in the training room and Harry apparated them to their destination.

They appeared in a dark alleyway in what Hermione guessed was London. Without letting go of Hermione's hand, Harry led the way into a small restaurant. The restaurant had a dark and romantic setting which made Hermione smile.

Before Hermione could even turn her head to comment on the restaurant, Harry looked at her. "I had this night planned for a long time."

It never ceased to amaze Hermione how Harry seemed to know everything that she was feeling before even she did. "So you were confident that I would say yes?" she teased.

Harry smirked. "Well, who wouldn't want to marry the Boy-Who-Lived? Plus I'm a Lord of two houses. Face it Mione', I'm quite a catch."

Hermione rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh yes Lord Potter-Black. How I spent so many years resisting you, I'll never know."

"That hurt Mione'," Harry pouted. He kissed her tenderly and they went to celebrate their engagement.

* * *

The next day Harry groaned when there was a scratch on his door. He opened his eyes and immediately found his vision obscured by a mass of bushy brown hair. Harry smiled and he tightened his arms around his fiancé. They hadn't done anything sexual the night before, but neither of them had been able to sleep without their familiars and had decided to share the same bed.

Not surprisingly, the comfort that they found in each other's arms was even more than their familiars offered. Harry took a deep breath and let his mind target in on what his beloved wife-to-be was feeling.

Even though she was still asleep, Harry could feel nothing but love and comfort coming from her. Harry had a talent for reading other's emotions. He found it incredibly useful when Hermione was angry about something, usually about something reckless that he had done.

The scratch on the door interrupted his thoughts. Taking care not to wake up Hermione, he untangled himself and quietly got out of bed. He tiptoed over to the door and opened it a creek.

Staring at him with smug eyes was Kex and Ivy. "_Enjoy yourselves_?" Kex laughed while Ivy scowled at him slightly.

"Nothing happened," Harry told Ivy. "We just shared a bed."

Ivy looked at Harry for another moment before she turned to Kex. "_I guess we'll be sleeping in Hermione's room from now on. Especially when they're married_."

Kex nodded in agreement before he looked back up at Harry. "_Winky says that breakfast is ready. She wants you to eat before you go to meet Neville and Augusta_."

"Thanks, I'll get Hermione up," Harry said.

The familiars nodded and turned to run back towards the food. Harry closed the door and walked up to his fiancé. He gently shook her awake, much to her dislike.

"No," Hermione moaned.

Harry laughed and began pulling the covers off of her. "Come on Love, breakfast is waiting. You're always the early riser."

"Ate too much last night," Hermione mumbled into her pillow. "Still sleepy."

After some persuasive tickling from Harry, Hermione rolled out of bed and stuffed her feet into her slippers. Hand in hand, they walked to the dining room. The table was covered in food, which Kex was eating ravenously while Ivy ate more dignified.

As soon as Harry and Hermione were seated their familiars leapt towards them and nuzzled them affectionately.

"_Did you have a nice time last night_?" Ivy asked Hermione.

Hermione smiled at Harry and pulled Ivy into a hug. "I had a wonderful time." She held her engagement ring in front of her and admired how the gems caught the light in the room nicely. "Harry, are we going to go public with our engagement when we go back to school?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Harry asked while he helped himself to some scrambled eggs.

Hermione rolled her eyes playfully. "Love, we may be around nineteen physically and mentally, but in the outside world we're still sixteen. And since you haven't announced your titles to the public our engagement might seem strange."

"Do you not want to announce it?" Harry asked quietly.

"I didn't say that," Hermione said immediately. "I'm just trying to think of the best way to do this."

Kex poked his head out of the bowl of food that he had submersed himself in. "_Why don't you just wear it once you make it to Hogwarts? You were already planning on revealing us familiars then anyway, so what's the big deal_?"

"_Hermione wants to keep the uproar about Lord Potter-Black's engagement to a muggleborn to be kept to a minimum_," Ivy explained. "_I agree with Hermione, it might be easier to reveal the engagement after revealing Harry's titles_."

Kex shrugged and went back to his meal. "_It's all too complicated for my liking_," he mumbled.

Harry looked at Hermione sadly and sighed. "I guess it would be best to wait," he said grudgingly. "We will announce the engagement when it's safest for us."

Hermione smiled and kissed Harry on the lips. "I don't want to keep it a secret either, but if we reveal the engagement it could mean trouble for us. Just think of what Dumbledore would try."

Harry's eyes flashed angrily at the mention of the man who had betrayed his trust. "I'll get you a goblin chain for your ring, like the one I have. At least the people who really matter know, I guess that's what matters."

After breakfast they ran to shower and get dressed. When they were ready Hermione kissed Harry goodbye and apparated away with Ivy while Harry climbed out of the trunk with Kex to meet Neville and Augusta.

He waited patiently in the foyer for his companions. Not long after he arrived, Neville and Sage came running to greet him with Augusta following at a more dignified pace.

"How was your first date/engagement dinner mate?" Neville asked.

Harry smiled broadly. "It was wicked. I can't wait for our second date. Hermione is going to check up on her affairs at Gringotts and will meet us at Madam Malkin's. None of Hermione's school robes fit anymore and I highly doubt that ours will either."

Neville laughed and scratched Sage behind the ears. Looking down he told the wolf, "Remember, you'll have to be invisible to everyone. Stay by my side."

Sage rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "_Yet another pain that comes from being the biggest familiar_," he sighed. "_Even Ivy can catch a ride on Hermione_."

"Ivy was perfectly comfortable in Hermione's book bag," Harry pointed out.

Before Sage could respond, Augusta walked up to them stiffly. "Good morning Harry, Kex," she greeted them. "Even though you boys are more than capable of apparating yourselves, I will apparate to keep up appearances."

"Are you sure that it won't be too much strain Gran?" Neville asked in concern.

Augusta scoffed and grabbed Harry's and Neville's hands. "I'm not in the ground yet."

Neville barely had time to grab a fistful of Sage's fur when Augusta apparated them to an alley hidden outside of the Leaky Cauldron.

As soon as their feet were on solid ground, Sage and Kex activated their vests and became invisible. Looking confident, Augusta led them through the Leaky Cauldron and into Diagon Alley.

There was the usual crowd of Hogwart's students getting supplies for the upcoming school year. Harry felt Kex stiffen on his shoulder at the sight of so many people and remembered that his familiar had never seen this many people at once before.

"It's okay," Harry whispered so that only Kex could hear. "Just stay on my shoulder. When we get to the robe shop you can go to Neville."

He felt Kex loosen up and continued to follow Augusta to Madam Malkin's. He bumped into Sage a couple of times by accident, but the wolf made no complaint.

When they made it to Madam Malkin's they were greeted by a voice that Harry had not missed in all the years that he had been training.

"Waiting for your pitiful friends mudblood? Or have you wise up and ditched them? Or did they decide that you were too filthy to associate with?"

"Leave me be Malfoy," Harry heard Hermione say. "I'm in no mood for your bigotry. Leave before you embarrass yourself."

The abrupt change of emotion from Hermione was all the heads up that Harry needed. He threw the door open and glared at Malfoy just in time to see the obnoxious Slytherin reach for his wand.

"Get away from her Malfoy," Harry spat. On his shoulder he felt Kex dig his claws into his shoulder at the sight of the prat that Harry had told him about.

It surprised Harry how much Malfoy had changed from how Harry remembered him. Malfoy was, if possible, paler than he was at the end of the school year. He was wearing elegant robes and Harry noticed immediately that he was favoring his left arm.

Malfoy put his hand at his side and sneered at Harry. "Well if it isn't Scarhead. Come to save your mudblood have you?"

Harry didn't know if it was the years of training or the fact that he was notably more mature, but he didn't rise to Malfoy's taunts. "Try to hex her again and you won't need to worry about me. Hermione's more than capable of defending herself and kicking your pompous ass."

Malfoy glared at Harry and shouldered past him to leave the store. As soon as he left Neville came in with an invisible Sage. When the door closed Harry walked over to Hermione who had a sad expression on her face. Judging by the redness of her eyes, she had been crying shortly before.

"Don't let him get to you," Harry whispered lovingly.

Hermione smiled sadly and shook her head. "Malfoy has never made me cry. I just came from my vault at Gringotts. I found a bunch of pictures of my parents and I couldn't help but cry."

If they hadn't been in public, Harry would have pulled her into a tight embrace. Instead he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"We'll go see them after Diagon Alley," he promised quietly.

They waited on Luna and Fay before they purchased their robes. While their robes were getting made, they went to get their other school supplies.

They were about to walk into Flourish and Botts when Harry saw a flash of red in the corner of his eye. It took all of his restraint to not toss the redhead that was crashing into him over his shoulder like Zux had taught him.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed while she hugged him tightly. "I missed you at the Burrow," she added with a glare at Neville.

Behind her Ron was walking towards them. Harry was immediately on his guard. The last thing he wanted was to talk to him, but it wasn't like he could apparate away in the middle of Diagon Alley.

"Hey mate," Ron said cheerfully while he thumped Harry roughly on the back. "Enjoy your time digging through dragon dung fertilizer? It's your own fault; you could have been at the Burrow with us."

Harry scowled at Ron through Ginny's hair and tried to disengage himself from Ginny's tight embrace. "I had fun at Neville's," he said dryly. "What's the matter with you? Neville's right here and you're insulting him!"

Ron's ears reddened and he scoffed scornfully. "Whatever. I don't even need to ask if you did your homework," he snickered at Hermione.

"I don't need to ask if you didn't," Hermione snapped.

An awkward silence fell on them until Ginny took Harry's hand in her own and beamed at him.

"Do you want to go get some ice cream Harry?" she asked flirtatiously.

Beside him, Harry felt Hermione stiffen. Right away he took his hand back and stepped back a step. "Actually Ginny, Neville and I have to meet Augusta at The Leaky Cauldron. Neville and I have a project to get back to, don't we Nev?"

Neville nodded, immediately playing along. "We have to alter the greenhouse temperature and apply more fertilizer. We already got all of our supplies."

Ron glared at him but didn't respond. "Whatever, I guess we'll see you on the train then. Do you want to get ice cream Hermione?"

"No thank you Ron," Hermione said with cold politeness. "I have to meet my parents. We've been here for a while."

"Fine then, leave," Ron snapped.

Without another word, Ron grabbed Ginny's arm and towed her away from the group. As soon as they were out of sight, they went into the bookstore and quickly purchased their school texts and left. Neville and Luna went to meet Augusta with all of the familiars since neither of them could apparate while Hermione took Harry to her parent's graves.

Hermione talked to her parents about everything from training in the trunk to her engagement. She cried when she talked about her relationship with Harry and told her parents that she wished they could have met Harry and seen how happy he made her.

For two hours Harry held Hermione while she poured her heart out to her parent's graves. He introduced himself and promised that he would protect Hermione with his life if necessary. When both of their stomachs started to growl they said their farewells to the souls of Hermione's parents. They were both confident that Hermione's parents could hear them talk to them. Hermione left her parents' wedding rings and molded them to their graves with a wave of her illegal wand.

"I'll come see you guys soon," Hermione promised. She kissed her fingertips and touched them to both tombstones and grabbed Harry's hand.

Harry gave her hand a tight squeeze and apparated them back to the trunk. They had some packing to do for the upcoming school year.

* * *

Sooner than any of them would have liked, it was time to board the Hogwart's Express. Harry led the way onto the platform with Hermione with Neville and Luna right behind them. They had all agreed to get to the train early so they could secure a compartment where they wouldn't be interrupted.

As expected, they were the first ones on the train; they even beat the lunch cart witch. They loaded their trunks on the racks and sat down. Harry stored Hedwig's empty cage next to his trunk, the snowy owl had decided to fly to Hogwarts instead of being crammed in her cage once again. Hermione took out her ash wand and cast an illusion charm that she had researched in the library on the door and the window.

"Now whoever looks in our compartment will see some random students," Hermione explained while she took her seat next to Harry.

"That's brilliant Love," Harry praised while he put an arm around her shoulders.

"_Does that mean we can deactivate our vests_?" an invisible Ivy asked from Hermione's book bag.

Without waiting for an answer, Kex deactivated his vest and began climbing all over the seats. Following his example, the other familiars deactivated their vests. Ivy climbed out of her hiding spot and sprawled across the open seat next to Hermione. Fay perched on the luggage rack and tucked her head under her wing. Because of Sage's size, he had to lie on the floor, but he easily took up most of the leg room.

While they waited for more students to arrive, they went over their game plan for the year.

"I think we can trust Professor McGonagall," Hermione said. "She's always done what's best for the students. When we get to Hogwarts, we'll go right to Professor McGonagall and tell her about the familiars. If we get her approval, nobody can object, not that they could interfere with a true familiar anyway."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Neville looked at Luna, his expression somewhat concerned. "What are we going to do about our housing situations? We need to stick together, but Luna is in a different house."

"I can take care of myself Neville," Luna said amusedly.

"I agree with Neville," Harry said, immediately backing his best friend up. "The only place where we're truly safe is the trunk."

Kex agilely leapt back onto Harry's shoulder. "_So why don't you just stay in the trunk_?"

Before Harry could toss aside Kex's idea, Hermione beamed at the pine marten. "We'll do just that," she said. "I bet I could come up with a solution. Luna will be alright in Ravenclaw for a week or two, she's more than capable of taking care of herself."

Luna smiled in gratitude at her best friend.

Before any of them knew it, the train's whistle was blowing. Hermione practically jumped out of her seat at the sound of it.

"I have to go to the prefect's compartment," she exclaimed while she fumbled through her pockets for her badge.

The year before the thought of being a prefect had delighted her, but now it irritated her. The only reason why she didn't return her badge was because they all agreed that since Hermione was the only one with a badge she should hang onto it.

Before Hermione left, Harry kissed her gently on the lips. "Don't let Ron follow you back," he teased.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It won't take much to fool him." Turning to her familiar she said, "Ivy you stay here, I don't want to risk anyone finding out about you and we can't body merge because my eyes change.

Ivy yawned and nodded in agreement.

Sparing another kiss for Harry, Hermione left the compartment cautiously in case anyone saw her. As soon as Hermione was gone Harry and Neville began tossing a tennis ball between them using their restricted wandless magic. It was a simple exercise that had turned into a game.

While Harry and Neville did their 'exercise', Luna began editing some of her articles that her father had given her before she left. They didn't even realize how long they had been on the train until Ivy suddenly leapt to her feet and began snarling savagely.

"Ivy what's wrong?" Harry asked while he dropped the tennis ball. "Did something happen to Hermione?" he demanded.

Ivy didn't respond. She leapt off of the seat and began furiously clawing at the door, trying to get out. When Sage poked her with his muzzle she whipped around and almost leapt at him.

"_Ivy calm down_!" Kex cried at his best friend. "_What's happened to Hermione_?"

Ivy looked right at Kex and took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down. "_I will bite that old fool when I meet him_," she snarled.

Before Harry could demand what happened to Hermione again, the door to the compartment opened and an exhausted Hermione stepped in.

She locked the door and practically collapsed on the seat next to Harry. As soon as she was seated, Harry pulled her into his lap and gently pushed back the strands of sweat soaked hair from her face.

"What happened?" he asked.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but ended up coughing violently. She took a long drink from the water bottle that Luna offered and began taking in deep breaths.

"D-Dumbledore," she croaked out.

Harry stiffened and he tightened his grip on Hermione. "Did he try to use the Confundus Charm on you again?" he asked through gritted teeth.

On his lap, Hermione shook her head and took another drink. "He stepped it up a notch," she said. "He cast the Imperius on me."

The whole compartment was silent for a moment. Harry began to shake so violently that Hermione almost fell off.

"Tell us what happened," Neville said calmly.

Hermione nodded and took in a shaky breath. "After the meeting in the prefect's carriage, I was told by the head girl to patrol the area close to the front of the train. I was almost done with my patrol when I sensed a powerful magic source coming from behind me. Before I could even turn, I was put under the Imperius."

"How do you know it was Dumbledore?" Luna asked.

"His magical signature," Hermione answered. "The magical signature that cast the Imperius on me was the same as when Dumbledore tried to use the Confundus Charm on me."

Luna nodded in understanding and motioned for Hermione to continue.

"The command was to spy on Harry," Hermione continued. "As soon as he cast the spell, Dumbledore left. I struggled against the spell for a bit, it was more difficult to throw off than the Confundus Charm by tenfold. After I threw it off I came right back here."

"You're exhausted," Harry mumbled into Hermione's hair. "I can't believe you managed to overcome Dumbledore's spells. You're amazing Mione', but he's not the one Voldemort is afraid of for nothing."

On his lap he felt Hermione stiffen. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ivy look at Hermione and give a small nod.

"There are others more powerful than Dumbledore," Hermione whispered loud enough for everyone in the compartment to hear. "Harry, do you remember the prophecy about the Spiritual Heirs that Zux gave you all that time ago?"

"Of course," Harry said with a confused expression. "What does that have to do with you throwing off Dumbledore's Imperius?"

Hermione shakily got off of Harry's lap and sat down in her seat with an exhausted sigh. "I was going to wait until I had a little more research," Hermione mumbled while she dug through her book bag. After a moment of searching, she pulled out a piece of parchment and opened it to show her friends.

_Harry Potter: Goblins- Empathy_

_Hermione Granger: Elves- Mind Magics_

_Neville Longbottom: unknown- Forest Speech_

_Luna Lovegood: unknown- Animal Speech_

Everyone looked at the parchment in confusion for a moment. "What do you mean by 'forest speech'?" Neville asked.

"Your gift with plants is more than just a green thumb Neville," Hermione said. "You told me yourself, you can hear them and know just what they need. That's called forest speech. I could throw off Dumbledore's spells because they attacked my mind and I have incredibly powerful mind magic. Harry's ability to know what we're feeling is more than just a hunch, it's empathy. Luna can understand everything that animals tell her, this is called animal speech."

Harry took the parchment and looked at Hermione. "What are you saying?" he asked softly.

Hermione put her hand on his knee and smiled sadly. "I found out that Gryffindor's Magic was the ability to know just what his troops or enemies were feeling. Godric Gryffindor had empathy. Harry, I was wrong. I think that we're all the Spiritual Heirs of Hogwarts."

* * *

A/N- I hope that you'll all feel that this chapter was worth the wait. A special thanks to fancyspinner for the idea of empathy. A lot of people suggested something with plants for Hufflepuff so thanks to everyone. Sadly, this will be my last chapter of 2009. I would like to thank all of my readers who remain loyal to this story and I hope that people will review more in the future, things are only going to get more hectic for our heroes! Review! -Phoenix


	16. Potions and Griffins

A/N- Enjoy!

* * *

Harry stared at Hermione in disbelief for a few moments. After clearing his throat, he shakily asked, "When did you figure it out?"

Hermione rolled up the parchment and put it back in her bag. "I had read a book about Rowena Ravenclaw a long time ago and it mentioned that she had animal speech. Animal speech is even rarer than parseltongue and there hasn't been a reported case of someone having animal speech in centuries. When Luna understood what Fawkes said at Longbottom Manor before our training, it clicked and I've been doing research from there."

"But couldn't it be a coincidence?" Luna asked.

"Maybe, if it was just you with a Founder's ability," Hermione said. "If I'm right, then Harry is the Spiritual Heir of Gryffindor, Neville Hufflepuff and Luna Ravenclaw."

Harry frowned slightly. "But that would make you the Spiritual Heir of Slytherin. Mione' are you sure you're right about this? Slytherin isn't exactly known for its love of muggleborns."

"Based off of what I've found, I'm the Spiritual Heir of Slytherin," Hermione said sadly.

They spent the rest of the train ride going over the details about their abilities. Apparently only Hermione and Ivy knew that their special talents were more than what they appeared. Hermione went on to explain that they had all been marked by tragedy and didn't get their abilities until after. Neville had always been good with plants and had understood more of their unspoken language the older he got. Luna started understanding creatures after her mother had died just like Hermione had gotten skilled at mind magics after her parents had been murdered. The tricky case was Harry. Even though Harry's parents had been murdered when he was a baby, his part in the prophecy hadn't started until after Sirius died. Hermione didn't have an answer for that.

"I'll explain everything when I have the answers," Hermione promised them.

The group didn't even notice that the train had stopped until they heard students running off of the train. Hastily, they got their trunks while the familiars grudgingly turned invisible. They left the train, taking care to avoid Ron and Ginny who might have been looking for them. They got a carriage together and after Luna greeted the thestral that was pulling the carriage, they headed to Hogwarts.

When they arrived at Hogwarts they went straight to the Great Hall for the feast. Hermione had said that talking to Professor McGonagall after the feast would be the best time, until then the familiars had to remain invisible.

Luna kissed Neville softly on the cheek and walked over to the Ravenclaw table. Much to Neville's irritation, as soon as she sat down, Luna's housemates edged away from her, leaving her alone.

"I oughta hex them," Neville growled.

"I'll help you," Hermione said quietly while she leaned most of her body weight on Harry.

Neville smiled in gratitude and led the way to the Gryffindor table. Harry and Hermione sat next to each other while Neville sat across from them. Sage crawled under the table with much difficulty and curled up as small as he could by their feet.

"_How long is the feast_?" Sage asked quietly.

"Around an hour," Neville said just as quietly. "We have to talk to McGonagall after the feast."

Underneath they all heard Sage sigh sadly. Before the sorting started, Ron and Ginny walked up to the table. Ginny scowled when she saw that the seats on either side of Harry were occupied and settled for sitting in front of him. Ron sat down on Neville's other side and looked longingly at the plates.

"So Harry," Ginny said flirtatiously. "I missed you on the train. I looked for you."

"I was sitting in the back," Harry said in a monotone.

Ginny continued to bat her eyelashes and reached her hand forward so that it rested on top of Harry's. "We really need to spend more time together."

Despite being so exhausted that she could barely sit up straight, Hermione stiffened and glared at the younger witch. Sensing the anger that was pulsing from his fiancé, Harry took his hand back and put it on Hermione's leg discreetly to calm her down.

"_She already irritates me_," Kex whispered in Harry's ear.

Harry nodded subtlety, agreeing with his invisible familiar.

After the sorting was over Dumbledore summoned the feast, much to Ron's pleasure. Harry kept watch on Hermione out of the corner of his eye. As she ate she managed to gain back some color and she didn't look like she could be pushed down by a faint breeze. During the feast, they all tried to give food to their familiars without gaining attention.

When Harry was done eating, he stood up and walked up to the Head Table, straight towards McGonagall.

"Can I help you with something Mister Potter?" she asked.

Before Harry could open his mouth to answer, Dumbledore smiled at him. "I'm sure that any question that Mister Potter has, I will be able to answer."

Harry looked at Dumbledore coldly. "I need to talk to Professor McGonagall," he said calmly. Turning back to McGonagall he asked, "Can I talk to you in private after the feast?"

McGonagall looked mildly surprised at Harry's cool tone towards Dumbledore, but nodded. "Meet me in my office after the feast."

"Thank you Professor," Harry said respectfully.

Without looking at Dumbledore, Harry went back to the table. As soon as he sat back down Ginny tried to get his attention, but Harry ignored her and looked at Neville and Hermione pointedly.

Hermione nodded in understanding and smiled at Ron as sweetly as she could manage. "Ron, I need to talk to Professor McGonagall about something after the feast. Will you be alright leading the first years to the common room?"

Ron stopped shoveling food in his mouth and looked at Hermione in disbelief. "You want **me** to lead the munchkins all by myself?"

"There are other prefects besides you," Hermione snapped. "I'm just asking if you'll help pick up my slack while I take care of something. Merlin knows that I've picked up yours over the years."

Ron glared at Hermione, but he agreed with a curt nod and a grunt.

As soon as Ron agreed, the food vanished and everyone turned their attention to Dumbledore who was standing at the Head Table.

"I hope that all of you enjoyed this delicious feast," Dumbledore said happily. "Just a reminder to returning students and so that the first years know, the Forbidden Forest is forbidden and there is a list of banned items posted on our caretaker Mr. Filch's door. I am also pleased to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Griffin."

For the first time, Harry noticed the man who was sitting next to Hagrid. The man had a lean and muscular build, long gray hair that was pulled in a ponytail and a long scar that cut across his face from his left eye to the corner of his mouth on the right. What Harry noticed most about their new professor though was the bright, intelligent and calculating golden eyes that scanned the room.

Harry barely suppressed a shiver when the new professor's gaze rested on him. It was like the golden gaze had touched something in him, but Harry couldn't tell if it was good or bad.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked softly.

"Yeah," Harry assured her. "It's nothing."

Harry could feel disbelief through Hermione's emotions, but he didn't want to talk about it in front of Ron and Ginny.

When Dumbledore dismissed them, Harry led Hermione and Neville out of the Great Hall quickly and headed towards McGonagall's office. Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Luna break away from the Ravenclaws and he felt Neville's anger at the fact that they didn't even notice that Luna was gone.

They quickly made their way to McGonagall's office. When they arrived, Harry knocked loudly on the door.

"Come in Mister Potter," they heard McGonagall call out.

Harry opened the door and led the way in. He saw McGonagall raise her eyebrow when she saw the rest of the group walk in.

"I thought that only you needed to talk to me Mister Potter," McGonagall said with an amused expression on her face.

"I'm sorry for not informing you that we all needed to talk to you," Harry said honestly. "But we have something that we need to run through the Deputy Headmistress."

McGonagall sat down behind her desk. "What is it Mister Potter?"

Harry nodded and the familiars instantly deactivated their vests. Harry had to fight back a smile at the shocked look on McGonagall's face. "This is Kex," Harry said while he scratched the pine marten's chin. "He's my true familiar."

Hermione stepped forward and took the now visible Ivy out of her bag. "This is Ivy."

Neville and Luna introduced their familiars and they all waited for McGonagall's reaction.

After a few moments, a small smile graced McGonagall's face. "I won't ask where you four got familiar eggs, but I will ask why you needed to talk to me about them."

Hermione smiled and put Ivy on the desk. The small fox immediately walked up to the professor and bowed her head in respect. "We know that some professors might not react well to the fact that there will be animals in their classes. We can't leave them in the dorms because true familiars get incredibly anxious when they're without their witch or wizard. If we got your permission as Deputy Headmistress to bring them to class, then no teacher will be able to get us to send them away."

McGonagall smiled and tentatively scratched Ivy behind her ears. "I know about the bond between true familiars and their wizards Miss Granger. As long as they don't attack anyone and don't disturb classes then I give you my permission."

"Will anyone be able to override your permission?" Hermione pressed.

To quench Hermione's fear, McGonagall took out five pieces of parchment and wrote on them. She handed one to each of them and kept the last one for herself.

When Harry looked at the parchment he smiled when he read the written authority and felt the magical authority.

_I, Minerva McGonagall, do hereby give permission for this true familiar to walk with his wizard, Harry Potter. Any attempt at forced separation will be dealt with by the magic of Hogwarts. So I declare as is my right as Deputy Headmistress._

"Thank you so much Professor," Hermione said happily.

"You are most welcome Miss Granger," McGonagall said with a smile. "Now if a teacher tries to take your familiar away even after reading my note, Hogwarts will prevent them. I am trusting you four not to abuse this privilege. If I feel that your familiars are acting out or are a danger to the other students then I will revoke my permission and Hogwarts will not protect you."

Harry carefully pocketed the precious piece of parchment. "Can Professor Dumbledore revoke this?"

McGonagall looked at Harry with an almost suspicious look before she shook her head. "This is my word to Hogwarts, even though he is Headmaster; he will not be able to cancel my word with her."

"That is some impressive magic," Hermione said in awe while she too carefully put the note away.

"Hogwarts' magic runs deeper than any of us know," McGonagall said fondly. "Now go to your houses, it is almost curfew."

They all thanked her and left the room. The familiars were happy that they didn't need to remain invisible and stick to their wizards like glue. They all walked together until they got to the crossroads where Gryffindor and Ravenclaw split off.

Luna looked at her friends sadly. "I guess this is where we separate. I'll see you tomorrow."

She kissed Neville and walked away with Fay flying after her.

Neville stood rooted to the spot for a moment. His face was a mixture of longing and grief. It was like his heart was being torn out of his chest more and more with each step that Luna took away from him.

"_She'll be okay_," Sage said comfortingly. "_We'll see her tomorrow_."

Neville nodded miserably and followed Harry and Hermione to Gryffindor tower. When they got there Hermione gave the password and they entered the common room.

Kex, Ivy and Sage gaped at the sight of the common room and quickly ran over to explore their new surroundings quickly. While they were exploring, Harry said good night to Hermione and gave her a very tender kiss on the lips.

"I'll miss you," Harry whispered in her ear. "I can't wait until you figure out how we can stay in the trunk, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep without you."

Hermione giggled and kissed Harry on the cheek. "I'll meet you bright and early for our run."

Harry groaned and watched while Hermione walked up the stairs towards the girls dormitories with Ivy on her heels. Once she was out of sight he turned to Neville and smiled sympathetically. "I know how you feel mate. It sucks to be away from them. I can't imagine how hard it is for you with Luna in another house."

Neville smiled sadly. "I'll have to hold on until Hermione comes up with a solution. Knowing her it'll be done within a week."

Harry laughed in agreement and led the way upstairs.

When they got in their dorm they were immediately ambushed by a flash of red hair. Ron was still in his robes and had a huge scowl on his face.

"What did you guys have to do that was so important that Hermione had to bail on her prefect duties?" Ron demanded. Then his eyes drifted from the pine marten on Harry's shoulder to the large wolf that was standing next to Neville. "What the hell are those? You know that wild animals aren't allowed!" Ron made a move for his wand while staring anxiously at Sage.

Before Ron could draw the wand, Neville drew his quicker than Ron's eyes could follow. Neville pointed his wand at Ron steadily, but his eyes betrayed his anger.

"These are our true familiars," he said coldly. "And drawing a wand on a wizard's true familiar is grounds for a duel. Seeing as you didn't know that Sage was my familiar, I will let it slide. But, if you even attempt to hex Sage again, Madam Pomfrey will be picking pieces of your wand out of your arse."

Ron's ears grew red, but he took his hand away from his wand. Still scowling, he stalked over to his bed and began angrily taking his robes off. Seamus and Dean looked at them with bemused expressions on their faces, but they didn't object to their new roommates.

"They aren't used to you standing up for yourself," Harry noted happily.

"They better get used to it though," Neville remarked just as happily.

Harry laughed and went over to his bed. He quickly changed out of his robes and into his pajamas. He took the shrunken trunk out of his pocket and moved his school trunk under his bed instead of keeping it at the foot. He then put the trunk on the floor and deactivated the shrinking charm. Once the trunk was its usual size, he activated the security charms. Nobody was going to get in or move it, not even Dumbledore.

"You already didn't have everything so you went to buy a second trunk?" Ron sneered.

Harry shrugged and ignored him. He got in bed and moved to pull the curtains closed when he noticed with amusement that Neville and Sage were arguing over sleeping arrangements.

"_I don't want to sleep on the floor_," Sage whined.

"You take up the whole bed," Neville said exasperatedly.

"_I'll stick by your feet_," Sage promised.

"Fine," Neville groaned.

Sage barked happily and leapt on the bed. The bed and Neville groaned under the weight, but Sage curled up at the foot of the bed, trying his best to not take up the whole bed.

Harry and Kex laughed at their friends before Harry pulled the curtains on his bed closed. Using his alder wand, Harry put up some charms to make sure that nobody would be able to sneak up on him and Kex while they slept. Harry was so wary of Ron and Dumbledore that he even slept with his wands on him.

"What do you think of Hogwarts, Kex?" Harry asked his familiar.

Kex curled up on Harry's pillow and sighed warily. "_I miss home_," he admitted. "_I don't like the feeling knowing that the red head is one bed over. He doesn't smell right. I don't trust him_."

Harry petted Kex sympathetically. "He won't get the jump on us," he promised. "I put up some strong charms. Plus, Hermione will come up with something soon."

Kex sighed and closed his emerald eyes. Within moments, the pine marten was fast asleep.

Yawning loudly, Harry followed his true familiar's example and closed his eyes. The next day was going to be dull, but the idea of how Snape would react to the familiars left Harry asleep with a big smile on his face.

* * *

The next day Harry woke up to Sage pouncing on the bed. Harry cursed and fell on the floor and glared at the wolf. He was now regretting using spells that wouldn't keep a true familiar out.

"_Neville says that it's time to get up_," Sage said happily. "_He's already getting ready_."

Harry groaned and got up to get ready. Once they were ready, Harry and Neville walked downstairs to the common room.

As expected, Hermione was already ready and waiting. She was wearing her sweatpants and a sleeveless with her bushy hair pulled back into a ponytail. Ivy was standing on the floor patiently next to her.

"I've been looking forward to running outside around the Great Lake," Hermione said happily. "It'll be a change of scenery. Luna is going to meet us there."

Neville brightened up at the idea of seeing his girlfriend and led the way out of Gryffindor Tower at a brisk walk.

They were the only ones awake at the ungodly hour of six in the morning. Since they couldn't train anymore like they had in the trunk, they had all vowed to go running every morning so that they wouldn't get out of shape.

When they got to the lake, they didn't see Luna, but they heard a loud screeching. They looked up and saw Fay gliding gracefully towards them. Neville lifted his arm and Fay perched on it as gently as she could.

"_Good morning_," Fay said happily. "_We've been flying around the grounds for almost half an hour_."

"I'm glad that you two are enjoying yourselves," Neville said sincerely. "Luna, can you come out? I want to give my girlfriend a good morning kiss."

Fay nodded and glided down to the ground. There was the familiar 'crack' of the body merge and Luna appeared on the ground next to Fay. She took Neville's offered hand and got to her feet. As soon as she brushed the dirt off of her workout clothes, she initiated a passionate kiss with Neville.

"I couldn't believe how much I missed you," Luna said softly. "I couldn't sleep."

"I felt the same way," Neville whispered lovingly.

Giving their friends their space, Harry, Hermione and the familiars began running along the edge of the Great Lake. After a minute, Neville and Luna caught up with them and they ran together for an hour. After an hour and a half, Hermione's magically charmed watch went off, indicating that it was seven-thirty and they needed to head back to the castle.

After they showered and changed into their school robes, they all met in the Great Hall for breakfast. Luna decided to go against tradition, and sat with her boyfriend and her best friends at the Gryffindor table. Some of the few students who were already at breakfast at eight looked at the familiars in shock and awe.

"_This is creepy_," Fay commented while she sat on the table. "_I wish that they would stop staring."_

"They're probably wondering why there are unusual animals sitting at the Gryffindor Table for breakfast," Neville said.

Before Fay could respond, a tall shadow fell upon the table. They looked up and saw much to their displeasure that Snape had left his spot at the Head Table to come harass them.

"Potter," he said coldly. "Why are there wild animals sitting at the Gryffindor Table? The rules clearly state that only owls, cats, rats and toads are acceptable as pets, and unless I'm mistaken, you have a pine marten eating off of your plate like a primitive creature."

Kex stopped eating off of Harry's plate and glared at the potions professor.

"That is my true familiar, Kex, whom you are insulting Professor," Harry said just as coldly. "We have permission to have them walk with us. Surely a great wizard such as yourself knows that a bond between a true familiar and his wizard is powerful and they can't be separated?"

Snape sneered at Harry with loathing obvious on his face. "Just because you're famous Potter, doesn't mean that you can bring in disgusting creatures and claim that they are true familiars. Ten points from Gryffindor for lying to a professor."

"Ten points to Gryffindor for getting an early start to the day," came a sharp voice from behind Snape.

Everyone looked around Snape to see McGonagall standing there holding schedules looking angry.

"These four have already come to me about their true familiars and I have given them my permission to let them walk with their wizards," she told Snape, her Scottish accent thick.

"These are disgusting creatures that belong in the woods," Snape protested.

Harry had to keep a firm hand on Kex to keep him from leaping at Snape.

"Regardless of your opinion Severus," McGonagall said tartly. "They have my permission and my word on the magic of Hogwarts. Do not attempt to separate them."

Snape glared at McGonagall and left without another word.

"Here are your schedules," she said almost as if she hadn't come close to cursing Snape a second ago.

Harry, Hermione and Neville took their schedules from McGonagall while Luna went to get hers from Flitwick.

"Double potions first thing," Harry groaned. "And it's with Slytherin."

"We've learned more than enough during training to do well in Snape's class," Hermione assured him. She looked at each familiar with a stern look on her face before saying, "you can't do anything during class. Snape will be looking for any excuse to blame something on you guys and take points away from us. Even though he is incredibly unfair, you will have to remain quiet."

Ivy nodded in understanding while Kex and Sage groaned.

"_Great_," Kex said sarcastically. "_We get to spend a double period sitting still in a stuffy potions dungeon while a bitter old man blames every accident on us. Sounds like fun_."

Sage laughed while Ivy scowled from her seat next to Hermione. "_We could still learn something_," she told Kex.

"_How are we supposed to learn Potions when we can't make them_?" Kex demanded back.

Before their familiars start fighting, Luna sat back down with her schedule. "I have Herbology first thing with Hufflepuff," she told them. "It's a good thing that Neville taught us Herbology this summer; it used to be my worst subject."

They all laughed and enjoyed their breakfast until a flustered Ron and a glaring Ginny entered the Great Hall. They walked up to the table and scowled when they saw Luna.

"Shouldn't you be at the Ravenclaw table?" Ron asked rudely.

Neville bristled in anger, but Luna looked up calmly and smiled. "There is nothing in the rules that says that the houses can't eat together."

Ron rolled his eyes and was about to sit next to Hermione when a sharp bark stopped him. Looking down he saw a small brown fox taking the spot next to Hermione with a book next to it.

Turning to Hermione he demanded, "You have one of those familiar things too?"

Hermione looked up from her breakfast and gave Ron a cold look. "This is Ivy and yes, she's my true familiar."

"Shouldn't she be on the floor?" Ron demanded.

"Why? She was here first," Hermione said calmly.

Ron's ears turned red in anger and he sat down next to Ivy. While Ron was piling food on his plate, Ginny was sitting down next to Harry and was gently putting her hand on his leg.

"May I hold your familiar Harry?" she asked.

When she reached over to pick up Kex, he turned on her and gave her a cold glare.

"He doesn't like to be touched by strangers," Harry said while he put more food on his plate for Kex to eat.

"Well I'm sure that he'll warm up to me soon," Ginny flirted.

Hermione was too entertained by Kex's rejection of Ginny to get irritated. Instead she stifled a giggle from behind her hand.

A loud chorus of owls hooting made Hermione look up. She hadn't even realized the time until the post arrived. A barn owl landed in front of her with the Daily Prophet. Hermione put a knut in the owl's money pouch and gave it a piece of bacon. The owl hooted gratefully and took off.

"Why are you paying for the paper?" Harry asked curiously. "You know that it's rubbish."

Hermione shrugged and continued to read. "It's good to be informed. Plus, now that the Ministry has to accept the fact that Voldemort is back they Daily Prophet is sure to mention him."

Harry shrugged indifferently but didn't ask again.

After breakfast Harry, Hermione and Neville headed to Potions while Luna headed to Herbology. When they got to the dungeons, Harry, Hermione and Neville grabbed a table together while their familiars sat down together on the side.

When the rest of their classmates began pouring in they all looked at the familiars with questioning eyes. Harry couldn't hope but notice that there weren't even a fraction of students in the NEWTs level Potions class.

"I'm happy that we retook our OWLs during that last week of the holiday," Harry whispered to Neville who nodded in agreement.

"Hey Potter," a cold voice came from the back of the classroom.

Stifling a groan, Harry turned around and gave Malfoy a calm look. "What do you want Malfoy?"

Malfoy was standing behind them and Harry happily noted that Crabbe and Goyle hadn't scored high enough on their OWLs to stay in the class.

"As a student I have a right to protest when another student brings dangerous creatures to class," he said smugly.

Taking care not to get angry, Harry took out McGonagall's permission form and showed it to Malfoy. "These are not dangerous creatures, they are true familiars. And we all have permission to have them with us."

Malfoy glared at the permission slip before he turned to Kex. He sneered when he recognized the emerald eyes that the pine marten was glaring at him with. "So your familiar is a lame pine marten? I guess this proves that you're weaker than everyone thinks you are. It's probably due to the fact that you're a half-blood."

Kex rolled his eyes at Malfoy and Sage laughed. Because Malfoy couldn't understand Sage, the wolf's laughter sounded more like a cross between a sneeze and a growl.

"Kex could beat you in a duel," Harry smirked. "He isn't so inbred that his magical abilities are stunted nearly to the same level as a squib."

Malfoy's face got red with rage, but before he could retort Snape came into the room. Sending death glares at Harry; Malfoy went back to his seat and sat down.

Snape went right to his desk at the front of the class. He glared when he saw the familiars, but knew better than to try anything or else succumb to the magic of Hogwarts.

"Today we will be making a blood-replenishing potion. For some reason some of you managed to pass your OWLs with a high enough score to be accepted into my class but I assure you, I will quickly weed out those with true talent from those who were lucky on the exams." He waved his wand at the blackboard and directions for an extremely complicated potion appeared. "Begin," he said coldly.

Hermione immediately started preparing her cauldron while Harry and Neville went to get the necessary ingredients. By the time Harry and Neville came back with enough ingredients for all three of them, Hermione had their cauldrons prepared.

Despite the blood-replenishing being NEWT level, none of them had any difficulties with it. The blood-replenishing potion was one of the first potions that they had learned to brew while in the trunk mainly due to the fact that they needed to stock up on it.

Halfway through the potion, Harry realized that there were unnecessary ingredients on the board for the potion. He focused on Malfoy and what he was feeling and he only felt satisfaction at the expense of others.

"Did you realize it?" Harry asked Hermione and Neville quietly.

They nodded. "Does Snape inform the Slytherins that they're unnecessary?" Neville asked.

"He does," Harry said with quiet anger. "We've brewed this enough times to know how to do it."

That was when the three of them stopped listening to Snape's personal instructions on how to brew potions.

When Malfoy's potion started smoking towards the end, Snape immediately turned to their table and sneered.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for not cleaning those filthy creatures. One of their hairs obviously fell into Mister Malfoy's potion," he said cruelly.

The familiars looked offended, but they didn't act. Instead they went right back to looking like they were napping when they were really listening to Snape and the other Slytherins with their superior hearing.

When the class was almost over, Snape came over to their table with a cruel smile on his face. When he inspected each of their potions, his smile faded and was replaced with a furious frown.

"These are acceptable," Snape said through gritted teeth. "Leave a sample on my desk and take the rest up to the Hospital Wing."

After the class left their samples Snape assigned a two foot essay on the uses of the blood-replenishing potion. They took their potions to a grateful Madam Pomfrey and went down to the Great Hall for lunch. They warned Luna about Snape's potion instructions before they went to their DADA class.

Not surprisingly, they were the first ones there. Harry and Hermione sat together while Neville took the table next to them with the familiars sitting in the free space next to Neville. The last thing they wanted was for Ron to listen in on their conversations.

Professor Griffin entered the classroom from his office and smiled warmly at the only students in his classroom.

"I was hoping that you would get here early," he said.

"Why is that Professor?" Harry asked skeptically.

Griffin took out his wand and gave it a wave. The door behind them clicked and they felt some privacy charms go up. Griffin laughed when Harry, Hermione and Neville reached for their wands.

"Do not fear," he assured them. "I only do not wish to be interrupted. I have waited long for the Spiritual Heirs to appear."

"How do you know who we are," Harry demanded.

Griffin waved his wand over himself. Instantly, his body started to shift. They watched with wide eyes when their new professor vanished and in his place was a large gray griffin with the same scar and the same piercing yellow eyes.

The griffin stepped up to the stunned students and bowed. "Lord Gryffindor, Lord Hufflepuff and Lady Slytherin, my true name is Goldengaze, and I have been sent here to protect you and Lady Ravenclaw. I wished to make myself known to you as soon as possible."

Harry was the first one to find his voice. "Who sent you?"

Goldengaze looked at Harry and smirked. "Who else my Lord? The Founders themselves."

* * *

A/N- Hello first update of the new year! I would've updated sooner, but I've had a lot going on between class and turning 21. Unfortunately, nobody guessed what I was looking for in the contest so nobody wins. A lot of people guessed Occlumency and Legilimency, but they missed the main thing that I was looking for which was the ability to throw off mind curses. I'll probably have another contest in the future! Review! -Phoenix


	17. Goldengaze

A/N- I apologize that my update has taken so long. An old teammate of mine was killed and I haven't exactly felt like updating. I might be writing shorter chapters for a while until I find my passion for my stories again. -Phoenix

* * *

Harry stared at Goldengaze for a few moments before he remembered that he was standing in front of a griffin. He cleared his throat and looked anxiously at his friends.

"Do you sense him lying?" he asked Hermione, not bothering to keep his voice down because of the griffin's impeccable hearing.

Goldengaze seemed amused and crouched in front of Hermione. "If it would ease my Lords' and Lady's worries, I will allow Lady Slytherin to use Legilimency to sift through my mind. But I ask that you hurry my Lady as class shall begin shortly."

Hermione nodded and tentatively put her hands on both sides of Goldengaze's face. She found it easier to look into other's minds if she was making contact.

Closing her eyes in concentration, Hermione took in a deep breath and began to dig. She saw flashes of a young Goldengaze playing with other small griffins, some sort of adulthood ceremony that he went through and even saw glimpses of Goldengaze courting a beautiful, light-brown griffin. Pushing onwards, she found what she was looking for. She saw a slightly older Goldengaze standing in front of four powerful looking adults who were undoubtedly the Founders. Stepping as close as she dared, she watched the memory before her.

"_Goldengaze," Godric Gryffindor said in a low powerful voice. "You have been chosen out of all of your brethren to be our messenger. Your Elders have spoken highly of you and your strength and, should you choose, we shall bestow upon you a great opportunity, greater than any griffin has had before. This power shall be strictly tied to Hogwarts. So long as you serve Hogwarts, you shall be a champion among the griffins. I will give you my magical blessing so that your strength doesn't waiver."_

"_I will give you my magical blessing so that you remain truly loyal," Helga Hufflepuff said. "Especially to Willowsong," she added with a knowing smirk._

_Goldengaze's feathers ruffled slightly, like he was embarrassed._

_Rowena Ravenclaw stepped forward and looked at Goldengaze fondly. "I've always had a soft spot for you Goldengaze. You think before you leap and you are the most rational griffin that I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. You have my magical blessing so that your mind remains as strong as your body."_

_Lastly, Salazar Slytherin stepped forward. Salazar Slytherin had a kind face and his eyes seemed to shine with a light that sparkled with compassion. He stepped up next to Rowena Ravenclaw and gently took her hand in his own. "My magical blessing to you Goldengaze is the ability to guide others to do what is right. You'll need it, trust me."_

_Godric cleared his throat and stepped forward with Helga right behind him. "A prophecy has been made Goldengaze. We do not know when it will come into motion, but we do know that we need an immortal magical creature to guide those who we have chosen. Our magic will be inherited by a future generation, and we do not know how far along it will be."_

_Goldengaze gaped at Godric for a minute before his piercing gaze narrowed. "I may be immortal Lord Gryffindor, but you are asking me to wait for Merlin knows how long for a prophecy to be set into motion. I have Willowsong to consider too. I can't leave her back home while I perch on Hogwarts for centuries while I wait for your heirs."_

_Godric smiled warmly and shook his head. "We would never ask that of you. When our heirs are revealed, should you accept, you will know. Until then, you will be able to live your life with your mate."_

"_I am still not sure," Goldengaze said hesitantly. "What do you mean by "guide" the heirs?"_

"_They will need guidance to unlock Hogwarts' magic," Rowena said. "Only a highly magical creature who has our magical blessings will be able to sense Hogwarts' magic. We're trusting this to you Goldengaze."_

_Goldengaze hesitated for a moment before determination filled his eyes. He bowed his head respectfully. "I, Goldengaze of the griffins, do hereby swear to serve Hogwarts and one day the Spiritual Heirs."_

_The Founders nodded in unison and circled Goldengaze. When they had the griffin surrounded, they each raised their wand hands. Each respective hand glowed the color of their house. All at once, they cast their magical blessing on Goldengaze. The griffin screeched in pain at the overflow of pure magical power that was filling his body._

_When the blessings were finished, Salazar stepped forward and whispered in Goldengaze's ear._

"_I have been told that when the prophecy begins, my house will become dark as well as my name. My heir will face many prejudices, but I ask you to tell her that even though I will not have the pleasure of meeting her, I have faith that she will redeem my house. Ambition and cunning are only as dark as the wizard makes them to be. She must spread the word. I have always wanted Slytherin to be pure, but not pure of blood. Purity of heart matters much more than purity of blood. Please help her to understand this."_

_Goldengaze nodded and shakily got to his feet._

"_It is done," Godric declared._

Hermione stepped back and the memory faded. Within a second of stepping out, Hermione pulled her mind back and found herself back in the classroom. She staggered for a second, but Harry steadied her. Goldengaze shook his head and stepped back to change back into his human form.

"Can we trust him?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded and wiped the sweat off of her forehead. "Legilimency on a griffin is more draining, but the memories are true. A griffin can't lie and they can't fake memories."

Harry opened his mouth to ask another question when there was a loud banging on the door.

"It looks like it is time for class," Goldengaze, now a human, sighed. "I will explain more to you, but Lady Ravenclaw needs to be present. If it would please my Lords and Ladies please come here after dinner."

The class was pretty basic. Goldengaze introduced himself as Professor Griffin, a name that Harry, Hermione and Neville found incredibly unimaginative now, and he mostly went over what he would teach for the term and what he expected.

"This year we will be focusing on silent casting," Goldengaze said while he paced in front of the rows of tables. "Can anyone tell me the advantages of silent casting?"

Hermione, to nobody's surprise, raised her hand.

"Yes Miss Granger?" Goldengaze said with a smile.

"By not saying the incantation out loud," Hermione began. "The defender will not be able to prepare for the spell and won't know what the spell is until it's too late."

"Excellent, five points to Gryffindor," Goldengaze grinned.

The rest of the class was spent going over the theory of silent casting and even practicing it towards the end. Harry, Hermione and Neville could all do basic silent casting, but they needed to tone down their skills. They were already catching unwanted attention because of their familiars and their more mature bodies, the last thing they needed was for them to catch more attention because of their superior abilities.

At dinner that night they talked about their first days of classes with Luna and acted as normally as they could. When they were done with dinner they all went back to Professor Griffin's classroom.

Goldengaze was waiting for them in his human form. Once they were inside he sealed the room off and led them into his office. A few more sealing spells on his office later, he transformed into his true form. Unsurprisingly, Luna was unaffected by the shifting of a man into a large griffin taking place right in front of her.

"Lady Ravenclaw," Goldengaze greeted. "My name is Goldengaze and I have been sent by the Founders to guide you and your friends."

"It's nice to meet you Goldengaze," Luna said warmly. "Neville tells me that you can help us understand the prophecy and unlock the power of Hogwarts."

Goldengaze nodded in confirmation. "Unfortunately though, I cannot tell you how to do that just yet."

Harry stiffened in irritation. "Why now? If we have Hogwarts behind us then we can defeat Voldemort! The longer wait, the more that people will die!"

"Peace Lord Gryffindor," Goldengaze said calmly while raising his front paw. "Lady Slytherin, would you be so kind as to inform us of what the Spiritual Heirs must do?"

Hermione closed her eyes for a second before she looked at all of her friends. "We need to be trained. Harry, you've already been trained by the goblins and I have been trained by Winky, but Neville needs to be trained by the centaurs and Luna needs to be trained by the fairies. We're supposed to unite the magical world and Hogwarts is sort of a conductor of sorts."

Goldengaze nodded, looking pleased. "Precisely Lady Slytherin. Although, you still require training as well. When the prophecy was made, house elves weren't the primary species of elves."

"So I need to find an actual elf," Hermione confirmed. "But I thought they were extinct and house elves were the only elf species left."

"There is a difference between 'extinct' and hiding," Goldengaze sighed. "House elves used to be true elves, but centuries of enslavement has diminished their forms and magic. Most house elves are happy to serve their masters, but they are simply but a shadow of what they should have been."

Hermione clenched her fists slightly. "Is there any way to restore the house elves?"

Goldengaze shook his head. "I'm afraid that house elves are now a different form of elves. But, real elves still exist and you will eventually be called to them Lady Slytherin."

Hermione nodded.

Neville was shifting anxiously besides Luna. "How am I supposed to get a centaur to train me? The centaurs in the forest aren't exactly friendly and I don't know if Professor Firenze will have the time to train me."

"An exiled centaur wouldn't do anyway," Goldengaze said. "Centaurs are meant to live in herds. You would only benefit from training if you were trained by a whole herd. If Lord Hufflepuff would like, I shall escort you to the centaur herd this weekend. They might be more open to accepting you as their pupil if they had a Founders' blessed griffin there."

Neville nodded and seemed to visibly relaxed.

They talked about Goldengaze's life for about an hour. They went over where he lived which was in Wales, he talked about his mate, Willowsong, and how she was taking care of their daughter back home. When they asked what Goldengaze's daughter's name was he said that it was simply Robin until her she reached adulthood.

"Does it hurt you to be apart from them?" Hermione asked sadly.

Goldengaze looked wistfully out of the window. "Robin was learning to fly when I left. Yes, I miss them every second, but I am bound by my duty and they understand that. I will make up for the lost time when I see them next." He looked at the clock and stood up to shake himself. "We have talked a lot tonight. If it would please my Lords and Ladies, meet me here after breakfast on Saturday. I will escort you to the centaur herd and we shall try to convince them to take on Lord Hufflepuff as their pupil."

"Please call us by our names Goldengaze," Harry pleaded. "You're helping us so much and we don't want you to feel like you're worth less than we are."

Goldengaze hesitated for a second before he nodded. "Very well Harry. Now, as your professor I must tell you to head back to your dorms because it is almost curfew."

The four heirs and their familiars bade goodnight to Goldengaze and left the room. Once the room was empty, Goldengaze walked up to the window and sighed sadly.

"I hope that we won't be parted for long Willowsong," he said softly. "Wait for me my love. I will make this world safe for both you and Robin even if I have to give up my own life to do so."

* * *

A/N- Please review. And yes, I did get the idea for the griffins' names from the _Warriors_ series. My little sister is a huge fan and she gave me the idea. -Phoenix


	18. The Centaurs

A/N- Thank you all for being patient while I worked through some stuff. I'm thinking of giving the Heirs, Marauder's names and I wouldn't mind some suggestions. I know that I haven't revealed all of their forms yet, so please only give suggestions for the Heirs whose forms have been revealed. More forms will be revealed shortly.

* * *

The first week of classes switched between infuriating, to boring, to infuriatingly boring. All of the Heirs and their familiars were bored out of their minds during class because they literally learned the stuff that was covered years ago.

All four of them were doing well in their classes even though they weren't really trying. Even Hermione decided that it was pointless to get obsessed with grades when they had a prophecy hanging over their heads. But that didn't mean that she was willing to give up her position at the top of the class.

"Top of the class from Hogwarts will look good on an application for after the war," Hermione had told her friends when they had teased her.

Goldengaze had become a great resource to the heirs. Every night they went to the griffin's office and they talked about the Founders and the real history of Salazar Slytherin's departure from the school.

"They fought over a girl," Goldengaze told them with a hearty laugh.

"They didn't," Hermione and Luna gasped.

Harry couldn't believe it. "Are you telling me, that two of the greatest wizards of all time went separate ways because of a girl? What girl could break apart the Founders?"

Hermione gasped again when she recalled Goldengaze's memory. "They were fighting over Rowena Ravenclaw?"

Goldengaze laughed again and nodded. "Lord Gryffindor was so angry that Lord Slytherin won the lady that he was interested in that Lord Slytherin left the castle just to get away from the glares. But, Lord Slytherin returned within months and Lord Gryffindor gave his blessing. They decided that their friendship was too important."

"Then why are Slytherin and Gryffindor enemies if their Founders were best friends?" Neville asked.

"History was twisted I'm afraid," Goldengaze said sadly. "The prophecy says that the bridge between Gryffindor and Slytherin will need to be restored, but it's not talking about the Founders. It's talking about the houses."

"There's a better chance of Malfoy publicly declaring love for a muggleborn than that happening," Neville said sourly.

Goldengaze chuckled. "Regardless, it must be done."

It lightened all of their hearts knowing that Hermione wasn't the Heir to someone evil, but it also opened more questions. None of them liked how their world's history was being warped, and they planned to change it.

* * *

Bright and early on Saturday morning the Heirs woke up and met up with Goldengaze outside of the Forbidden Forest. The griffin was in his human form and was glaring at the forest.

"What's wrong Goldengaze?" Luna asked.

Goldengaze blinked and looked at them. "Oh I'm not that fond of centaurs. Temperamental creatures they are. Neville, if we convince them to take you on then you will need to stand up for yourself. Yell at them if need be. Being nice won't get you far with a centaur."

Neville nodded determinedly and looked at the forest with a glint in his eye. "I can yell if I have to," he said.

Luna grabbed Neville's hand and squeezed it. "Please don't anger them though Neville. Our magic won't be as effective against centaurs and we didn't bring our weapons. Fighting a herd would be difficult."

"No worries," Neville said with a smile while Sage nodded enthusiastically.

They made their way through the Forbidden Forest. Once Goldengaze was confident that nobody would see, he changed into his true form and continued to lead them. It wasn't too difficult to find the centaur herd, they just followed the hoof marks in the ground and Sage followed the smell.

After a half hour of tracking, they found themselves on the edge of the centaurs' territory.

"We will wait here," Goldengaze said while he sat down. "Centaurs do not appreciate others crossing into their territory without permission."

"Will they know we're here?" Neville asked while he paced anxiously.

"I'm sure they will sense the high levels of magic on the edge of their territory shortly," Goldengaze assured him. "The important thing is that we don't look hostile. I would rather avoid fighting with the herd."

They didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later they heard the sound of hooves thundering on the ground. They all stood up and waited patiently for the centaurs.

There were four of them. Three of them none of them knew, but the fourth one Harry noticed with displeasure was Bane.

Bane was glaring at the humans in front of him and he began stomping on the ground in agitation with his front legs. "Why are you on the edge of our territory?" he demanded.

Goldengaze's eye twitched, but otherwise he remained calm. "We wish to speak with your chief."

"And why should I take you to him?" Bane sneered while he leaned forward to look Goldengaze in the eye.

"Because I am the Founder's Blessed Griffin," Goldengaze said while he puffed out his chest and flapped his powerful wings. "Now, take us to your chief before I stop being polite."

Bane glared at Goldengaze and made a move for his bow, but Goldengaze suddenly let off a huge wave of magical energy that nearly knocked the temperamental centaur off his feet.

"Stop this Bane," one of the centaurs shouted. "You know that Chief allows passage to any griffin who requests it! Do not let your temper cloud your judgment."

"It is not my judgment that is clouded," Bane snarled. "Why should we permit this cat with wings to wander about our territory?"

"'Cat with wings'?" Goldengaze screeched in fury.

The normally calm and composed griffin was bristling with fury and looked like he was about to leap and attack Bane.

"Stop!" Neville shouted.

Neville thrust himself between Goldengaze and Bane and silenced the griffin with a glare.

"I am the Spiritual Heir of Helga Hufflepuff," Neville said to Bane. "I have come to speak to your chief and I will not be turned away by a centaur that is more closely related to a donkey than a horse."

"You dare," Bane began.

Neville held himself tall and refused to yield to Bane's anger. "I have come to speak to your chief," he repeated. "Now stand aside."

Bane made a move to kick Neville when a loud horn stopped him in his tracks. Furious, Bane landed on all four legs and spun around.

Standing at the top of the hill in front of them were three more centaurs. One stood in front while the other two stood guard by his flanks. The centaur standing in front had flaming red hair and his human parts were muscular. There were scars covering his body and he had an axe strapped around his waist.

"Stand back Bane," the centaur ordered while he walked up to Neville.

"But Chief," Bane protested.

"That was an order," the chief snapped.

Bane glared for a moment before he bowed his head and stepped back.

Neville was looking at the chief with wide eyes before he remembered his manners and bowed. "Master centaur, my name is Neville Longbottom and I am the Spiritual Heir of Helga Hufflepuff. According to prophecy, I am to be trained by the centaurs which is why I have come to seek you. I ask of you to take me on as your apprentice to teach me the ways of the centaur so that I can fulfill my part of the prophecy."

The chief centaur watched Neville with a neutral expression for a few moments before he turned around and started marching back up the hill.

"Come," he ordered over his shoulder.

Neville exchanged a hopeful glance with Luna and followed right behind the other centaurs. They followed the centaurs through the thick forest for almost ten minutes. When they reached the outskirts of the centaurs' camp, the chief stopped and turned around.

"Your wands and animals remain out here," he ordered. "My herd will not respond well to wands and your animals are highly magical as well. Only the Heirs and the griffin may enter my camp."

"_I wanted to watch_," Sage whined under his breath.

The familiars waited at the edge of the camp with everyone's wands, both legal and illegal, while Neville followed behind the chief into the camp.

The camp was filled with large huts. The huts were up to ten feet tall and were about twenty feet long. There were no doors on the huts, instead there were leather flaps that were rolled up and strapped to the top of the hut. They were designed so that the occupants could get some privacy by untying the flap and letting it cover the door. In the center of the camp there was a large fire pit where a bunch of centaurs were gathered.

"This is where my herd camps out," the chief said. "Each hut houses one centaur, but mates share a hut. We will talk in my hut."

The chief held open the flap to the largest hut in the camp. Once everyone was inside, he went in and secured the flap behind him. Inside the hut there were leather pouches filled with different herbs and weapons hanging from the walls. In the corner was a bed of straw and blankets that appeared to serve as a bed. The chief motioned for the others to sit before he settled himself on the ground.

"My name is Pholus," he began. "But please just call me Chief. I won the right to lead this herd two years ago and I have been dealing with a lot of wizard ignorance. More and more of my herd's territory is restricted due to your ministry's laws and it becomes more difficult for my herd to accept any outsiders."

"I'm afraid that we don't have any control over the ministry," Neville began. "But according to the prophecy the Heirs are the ones who rebuild the bridges between the races. This surely includes the centaurs as well."

Chief looked thoughtful for a moment. "I have heard of the prophecy. You say young one, that you need to be trained by the centaurs, but I am afraid that only a member of the herd can learn centaur ways."

When Neville looked down, Chief smiled reassuringly. "There are ways to earn your right in the herd young one. Unfortunately though, the only way is for you to win trial by combat. Without the aid of magic, you must defeat one of my centaurs."

Luna started to look afraid for her boyfriend, but Hermione put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Who will mentor me if I win?" Neville asked quietly.

Chief smirked. "Most likely even if you do win, nobody will take you on as their apprentice. Therefore I will train you if you win."

Neville's eyes widened in surprise, and determination quickly filled his face. "I'll do it."

* * *

A/N- Not my best chapter, but I didn't want to wait another three weeks to update. Again, I probably won't be writing longer chapters for a little while. The next chapter might take me a while to write, but I'll give you guys a little teaser: someone's animagus form will be revealed. Stay tuned and please review. -Phoenix


	19. Combat

A/N- Please review! –Phoenix

* * *

Sitting in his office, Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk with a letter in his hand. The term had barely started and already he was having problems controlling the Potter kid. When Harry had denied his offer of help at the Feast, Albus had been more offended than anything else.

_The boy still blames me for Black's death_, Albus mused. _I will have to get him back under my control while I try to find out where he and his friends got familiar eggs._

Once again Albus' attention was dragged back to the letter. The matron Weasley had written to him earlier in the week, but he hadn't had time to really ponder what was written until now.

_Dear Albus,_

_I hope that the beginning of term went smoothly and that Ron and Ginny haven't caused any trouble yet. I am writing because we have yet to receive the 1,000 galleons from Gringotts. The payment usually arrives on the first of September, but I held off contacting you in case the money was simply late. As the overseer of the marriage contract then you have the authority to discuss this with the goblins. I am sorry to nag you like this, but Arthur and I need that 1,000 galleons. Also, we need another copy of the contract, ours seems to have disappeared._

_Thank you very much,_

_Molly Weasley_

Albus read the letter over two more times. When he read that the Weasleys couldn't find their copy of the contract, Albus began to get worried. The only way that Molly's family wouldn't receive their payment and their copy was gone was if the contract had somehow been voided.

_But that is impossible_, Albus thought. _I wrote that contract myself, there were no loopholes in it whatsoever._

Deciding to take care of the issue immediately, Dumbledore went over to his fireplace and flooed to Gringotts. As soon as he stepped out of the fireplace in the bank, he stood tall and waited for a goblin to run up to him and ask what he needed. When no goblin came up to him, he began to get irritated and he stomped up to the nearest teller.

When the goblin didn't look up when Albus approached, Albus' irritation turned into anger. Albus cleared his throat loudly and rudely. That seemed to get the goblin's attention.

"What is it?" the goblin demanded when he looked up from his paperwork.

"I demand to speak to the head of the bank," Dumbledore said harshly, his face beginning to redden in anger.

The goblin sneered at Dumbledore, something that the great wizard was not used to. "Director Ragnok is busy, but if you would like I could leave him a message."

"I demand to speak to him!" Dumbledore spat.

"And I said no," the goblin spat back. He snapped his fingers and instantly a goblin guard surrounded Dumbledore. "Now leave. I will tell Director Ragnok that an obnoxious wizard who thinks he matters in Gringotts bank was asking for him."

"I am Albus Dumbledore and I will not be treated this way!"

The goblin teller summoned Dumbledore's wand to his hand and handed it to one of the guards. "You are just another rude wizard when entering this bank," the goblin said.

A seething Dumbledore relented to the escort and walked back over to the floo. When he stepped into the fireplace the goblin handed him back his wand and Albus Dumbledore left the bank under sword point.

Once the emerald flamed died down, the goblin teller stepped away from the booth and headed towards his superior's office. Inside the office an older goblin was working on paperwork.

"How did it go Griphook?" the older goblin asked.

Griphook smirked, showing all his teeth. "That old coot is apparently not used to such treatment. Are you going to ban him from Gringotts?"

Director Ragnok sighed and put down the quill that he was using. "Even after everything that he has put young Harry through, I do not have enough against Dumbledore to stand before the King and have him stand behind my decision. From now on we'll just give Mister Dumbledore the treatment that he deserves."

"He will surely start to harass you until you agree to meet with him," Griphook pointed out.

"I will meet with him after Harry becomes public with his titles," Ragnok said while he turned back to his paperwork. "Until then, the alert spells that we put on Dumbledore's private floo connection will give us a nice heads up to when he's coming."

"What if he comes through the front doors?" Griphook wanted to know.

Ragnok chuckled and gave Griphook a toothy smile. "Typical pureblood wizard arrogance. Dumbledore thinks of himself too important to use the front door. Now Griphook, are you sure that you don't want me to assign Dumbledore to another goblin? You are already busy enough with managing the Potter and Black estates."

Griphook shook his head. "Harry Potter gave me a great opportunity and I owe him my complete devotion. This includes managing Dumbledore as well."

"Well, I can say this, I can't wait to see how the wizarding world reacts when Harry Potter goes public as Lord Potter-Black," Ragnok laughed.

* * *

Apparently saying "I'll do it," to the proposal of trial by combat, were the magic words to get a camp full of centaurs riled up. Almost as soon as the words left Neville's mouth, he was taken aside by a centaur and prepared for combat. While Neville was being prepared, Hermione and Harry were doing their best to comfort Luna outside in the clearing where the fight was to take place while Goldengaze took a perch in one of the lower trees.

The normally composed Ravenclaw was crying out of fear for her boyfriend. Luna was the expert on creatures both magical and non-magical, and she knew how violent centaurs could be during combat.

"He'll be okay Luna," Hermione soothed while Luna cried on her shoulder. "Have faith, this is what Neville has been working for."

"Centaurs are so violent Hermione," Luna sobbed. "And what if Neville is put against Bane? Bane won't stop until Neville is dead."

"Neville is strong," Harry said while he put a comforting hand on Luna's knee. "He's also determined. He has something to prove and he won't give up."

Centaurs began to gather around the edges of the clearing, far away from the humans. They stomped the ground eagerly. Some centaurs jeered at Luna about needing to find a new mate, causing the Heir of Ravenclaw to cry even harder.

After fifteen minutes, Chief walked into the center of the clearing and held his hands up for silence.

"We are gathered here to witness a trial by combat," he said, his voice carrying effortlessly over the clearing. "If the human wins, then he will be accepted as a member of this herd. He will be my apprentice, but we will train him as a whole. Who will face him?"

There was an excited murmur among the centaurs and Harry looked at Bane, half expecting the angry centaur to fight. Bane met Harry's gaze and stomped his feet, but otherwise didn't move.

"I will fight him," a clear voice said further down from Bane.

Stepping into the clearing was a centaur with black hair. The centaur's human parts were as muscular and scarred as Chief's were, but the centaur didn't seem to be as blood-thirsty as the rest of the herd was.

"Lithos will face the challenger," Chief shouted. "Do any object?"

None of the centaurs objected, but Bane did not look happy. Before Harry could think about why Bane looked so mad, Neville marched into the clearing.

Neville was no longer wearing his shirt, which showed his muscular chest. He carried an ax on his back and a sword stripped to his belt. Other than those, and his pants, Neville was bare. He wasn't even allowed to wear his shoes.

He waved nervously to Luna who chuckled and hastily wiped her eyes. The last thing that Neville needed at the moment was to worry about her.

Chief stood in the center of the clearing with Lithos and Neville facing each other. Lithos didn't look angry or like he wanted to kill Neville. Instead he looked genuinely interested in the young wizard.

"I am one of the senior warriors, Lithos," Lithos said to Neville. "I am also Pholus' brother. If you are truly Helga Hufflepuff's Spiritual Heir, then you should be able to defeat me. If you are not, then you will most likely be killed. Either way, aim to kill for that is the only honorable way."

Neville nodded, albeit a little shakily. "I will not insult you by holding back."

Lithos nodded approvingly before bowing respectfully. After Neville returned the bow, Chief dropped his raised arm and shouted, "Begin!"

Immediately, Lithos took his ax off of his belt and charged at Neville. Neville rolled out of the way of the thundering hooves. Once on his feet, Neville took out his own ax and blocked Lithos' blow.

Due to his superior height and weight, Lithos forced Neville to his knees. Before Lithos could finish him off, Neville broke the lock and quickly dashed behind Lithos. He made a move to hack at Lithos' legs, but Lithos aimed a kick with his back legs, forcing Neville to back up.

For fifteen tiresome minutes, Neville fought Lithos with everything he had, but the centaur had many years of battle experience and knew how to counter every single one of Neville's attacks. Both fighters were sweating heavily, but they didn't slow down. Neville had a few scratches from some close calls and Lithos had a long, shallow scratch along his flank, but other than that they were both unharmed.

Starting to tire, Neville decided to do something incredibly stupid. The next time that Lithos brought his ax down, Neville met it with only one hand holding his ax. Lithos' ax nearly embedded itself in his skull while Neville fumbled with his other hand for his sword. When he had his sword out of the sheath, he jammed it in Lithos' hand. The centaur cursed and dropped his ax which Neville kicked away. Next, Neville prayed that he wouldn't be killed and jumped on Lithos' back.

The centaurs who had been cheering suddenly fell silent. It was a great insult to ride a centaur, and that's exactly what Neville was doing. Lithos got on his back legs and tried to throw Neville off while he reached for him, but Neville wasn't going anywhere.

"He is riding Lithos like a common horse!" Bane shouted in outrage. "The human should die for his insult!"

A couple centaurs agreed with Neville, but Chief silenced them with a stern look.

Lithos on the other hand was amused with Neville's tactic. "Not bad young one but let us see how long you can hang on."

Neville grinned and tightened his grip on Lithos' belt. "I have some experience staying on a bucking horse. No offense intended."

Lithos laughed and started to buck. The centaur had to give Neville some credit, the boy did not fall. When Lithos took off his belt, Neville grabbed his arms for support and pinned them behind his back. With a shout of surprise that quickly turned to pain, Neville was thrown off of Lithos and landed right underneath the centaur's dangerous hooves.

"Neville!" Luna cried when the hooves were about to make contact.

Grimly, Neville grabbed his sword and jabbed it in Lithos' back leg. Lithos yelled in pain and shifted his weight to his other three legs. He stayed upright for a moment but he eventually fell to his side, unable to move.

"You win young one," Lithos said through gritted teeth. "Kill me."

Neville stared at the bloody sword in his hand with a repulsed expression. He looked at Lithos for a second before shaking his head and tossing the sword to the ground. "I will not kill an unarmed opponent," he said. "You were a true opponent, and it would be a shame to kill you."

Lithos grinned at Neville. "You have my respect. Hopefully my brother won't screw up your training too bad."

Chief scoffed. "Neville has won his right to be a part of this herd!" he shouted. "He will from now on be our brother in all but blood!"

From his spot on the sides, Bane yelled furiously. "I will not accept a human into my herd!"

Blinded by fury, Bane took out his sword and raced towards Neville. The other centaurs were so shocked by Bane's sudden action that none, not even Chief, reacted quick enough.

Neville reached for his sword before he remembered that he had foolishly tossed it aside like it was garbage. He was too tired and sore to get out of the way in time. With eyes closed tight, he braced himself for death.

A furious hissing forced him to open his eyes. Furiously attacking Bane's face was a light gray bundle of fur.

It looked like a large cat with large pointed ears, long elegant limbs and a lion-like tail. It was a kneazle. The kneazle was spitting an array of insults and was clawing at Bane's eyes.

Bane was cursing in fury and was trying to dislodge the kneazle with one hand while holding his sword with the other. His flaying front hooves nearly caught Neville, but Neville found his second wind and got out of the way.

"Unhand me you filth!" Bane cursed as he grabbed the kneazle's scruff and threw it into a tree. The kneazle hit the tree with a yowl and Neville heard something snap.

Fury unlike anything that Neville had ever felt before filled his veins. Gripping his sword tightly, he raced forward and, before Bane even realized what was going on, dug the sword right through the centaur's side. Bane choked back a cry of pain and glared at Neville with hate-filled eyes before he collapsed to the ground. He stayed on the ground cursing and coughing, but Neville paid him no attention.

Neville sprinted towards the injured kneazle and gently tried to pick it up. The kneazle looked at him with trusting storm cloud eyes, but yowled in pain when its front leg was moved.

"Are you alright Love?" Neville asked with a choked voice. "Can you shift back?"

Luna closed her eyes and slowly shifted back. When she shifted back into her human form, she sagged against Neville while cradling her arm. "He was going to kill you," she whispered.

Neville kissed her hair and held her close. "He almost killed you too. You scared me half-to death. Please don't do that again."

"Can't do that," Luna said with a grimace. "I'll always do what it takes to keep you safe."

While Neville kissed Luna again, Harry, Hermione and Goldengaze came over with worry all over their faces.

"We need to get her to the Hospital Wing," Hermione said.

Chief walked over to them and bent over so he was on even eye-level. "I apologize for Bane's dishonorable attack Lady Ravenclaw and Lord Hufflepuff. Lord Hufflepuff, you are fully within your rights to kill him if not for attacking you without reason then for him injuring your mate."

Neville glared at Bane for a moment before he looked back at Luna. "Bane isn't worth the effort. I'll leave his punishment up to you Chief since it was your arena of combat that he dishonored."

Chief nodded approvingly. "I understand that you want to get your mate seen to by your healer. Be here by sunrise on Saturday to begin your training. From now on, you will not need an escort and you may bring your wolf, but your wands must remain behind."

Neville nodded and helped Luna to her feet. "Thank you Chief. And I hope to learn more from you as well Lithos," he added to Lithos who was being tended to while Bane was ignored.

Lithos nodded and the group headed back to their familiars and wands before heading back to the castle. Another part of the prophecy had begun to be accomplished, but the four still had a long way to go.

* * *

A/N- thank you all for being patient. I've been updating my other story a lot and left this one alone because I wasn't sure what I wanted to write. Please review! -Phoenix


	20. Potter Manor

A/N- Oh so close to 1,000 reviews! *sigh* how I was hoping to hit the 1,000 review mark by my twentieth chapter. I love feedback! If you're willing to take the time to read my story, please take the time to review it! –Phoenix

* * *

After they had gotten Luna's broken arm healed by Madam Pomfrey with a half-baked excuse, Harry and Hermione apparated everyone to the trunk to discuss everything that had occurred during the week. They all sat around the dining room table and allowed Winky to fuss over them.

Ever since Luna had been hurt by Bane, Neville hadn't left her side. The sight of her being so still after being thrown into the tree had hurt Neville deeper than he let on. Now his Hufflepuff nature was on overdrive and he refused to leave her.

"_I wish I could've seen you kick centaur butt_," Sage laughed from his spot on Neville's other side. "_I still don't believe that you rode a centaur like a horse."_

Neville smiled dryly. "At least that's one less thing to worry about, my training. But what do we do now?"

"We need to find the fairies and the elves," Luna said. "I think that we would have a better shot at finding me a fairy mentor. Goldengaze did say that the true elves would come to Hermione in time."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Harry opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by an excited squeal from Hermione.

"I have an idea," she said and she left the room with Ivy right behind her.

They waited in amusement for ten minutes. When Hermione and Ivy came back, Hermione was slightly red in the face, but otherwise very excited. In her arms were an old, thick book and a small black portfolio. She put both on the table and hurriedly turned to a page of the older book while Ivy opened up the portfolio.

"I love it when she gets so intense about finding an answer," Harry whispered to Kex who sniggered.

Hermione stopped shuffling through pages after a minute of searching and took a piece of parchment that Ivy had pulled from the portfolio.

"I think I have a solution to our housing situation and the fairy situation," she said excitedly. When she had everyone's full attention, Hermione poked the book that she had rushed to get. "There's a fairy colony somewhere in the Black Mountains in Wales," she explained. "They aren't very partial to humans and no one has seen them in years, but they're still there."

"How do you know?" Luna asked curiously.

"Fairies are little pranksters," Hermione said while Luna nodded in agreement. "There are rumors around that around Llanthony Priory, those are ruins in the mountains, there are strange occurrences such as people losing their belongings and finding them at the foot of the hills."

"Typical fairy behavior," Luna said excitedly. "So, you believe that the fairy colony is still in these ruins?"

Hermione nodded, her excitement at meeting fairies and seeing the ruins bubbling over. "They're the only fairy colony whose location is at least semi-known."

Harry smiled and leaned over to kiss Hermione. "You're brilliant."

Hermione blushed and turned back to Luna. "You already know more about fairies than I do Luna, but this book has some useful bits of information that I thought you'd like to read up on."

Luna accepted the book gratefully and began to read through it a little with Fay.

"As for our housing situation," Hermione said happily. "We won't have to live in the trunk if we don't want to. I know that the trunk is like home, but it doesn't have the room we need. We all know how crazy we were when we were stuck in the trunk for three years."

At everyone's agreeing nod, Hermione held up the piece of parchment that Ivy had given her. "Harry," she said turning to him. "You know that you own a large number of properties right?"

"Yeah," Harry said while he grinned sheepishly. "But I have no clue where they are."

Hermione clicked her tongue, but her eyes were smiling. "Harry, Potter Manor, your family's ancestral house, is located in the Black Mountains in Wales."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise before a teasing smile played across his face. "And you know this how Miss Hermione?"

"Someone had to look into your affairs," Hermione retaliated playfully. "Just because you haven't gone public yet doesn't mean that there aren't things that need to be done. For example, did you know that you have quite a lot of house elves in your service? Both from the Black and Potter families?"

"No I didn't," Harry said in surprise. His eyes floated over to Dobby and Winky who were starting to fidget anxiously. "Well, I guess that my head elves will be more than able to get everything in tip-top shape."

Winky's and Dobby's ears perked up and they ran over to hug Harry excitedly. Three years ago, the feat would've been horrifying to the elves, but now that they felt like equals and not just like slaves, they were happy to do it.

"Thank you Master Harry!" Dobby cried. Unfortunately, nothing any of them did could get the elves to stop calling them 'master' or 'miss'.

"Winky and Dobby will be great head elves," Winky said while she blew her nose on her handkerchief. "May Winky go get some more material to make Winky and Dobby fitting uniforms for a Lord's head elf?"

"Of course Winky," Harry said with a smile. Instantly, Winky apparated away and Harry turned back to Hermione. "So, you think that we should all live in Potter Manor. Love, aren't you forgetting about something? What about Hogwarts?"

Hermione scoffed. "If a Hogwarts diploma didn't carry any weight then I would just say that we should just take our NEWTs and be done with it. I'm working on a neat little project that should take away any suspicion when we disappear at night. And, when you go public with your titles, you can have the option of commuting to Hogwarts for classes. Also, anyone in your charge can as well. Neville could do this as well as the heir apparent for the House of Longbottom. Harry, if you took me as your charge and Neville took Luna as his charge then we should be fine."

Harry smiled and kissed Hermione again. "So how do we get to Potter Manor?"

"That only Griphook can tell you," Hermione said while she put the parchment back in the portfolio and handed it to Harry. "But, I'd imagine that Griphook has a way to get to your house. And since it's an Ancient House's… well house, then the protections on it should be remarkable."

"So you want me to go see Griphook," Harry clarified.

Hermione nodded. "And ask him if there's a way to make portkeys for us that tie into Potter Manor."

"Anything else Dear?" Harry asked cheekily.

When Hermione exaggeratingly seemed to think of something else, Harry took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately.

"Gods I can't wait to marry you," Harry breathed.

Another kiss and Harry was gone.

During Harry's open display of love, Neville watched Luna out of the corner of his eye. The love that he felt for the witch was stronger than anything he thought possible. Even though he wasn't the same shy boy he was before their trunk training, Neville still had trouble tapping into his Gryffindor courage every now and then.

"Luna," he whispered. "Can I talk to you?"

Luna looked up from the book and nodded. Their familiars stayed behind and Neville led her to the pool room.

"Are you alright Neville?" Luna asked in concern. "You haven't said much since we left the centaur camp."

Neville grabbed Luna and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry. I let my guard down and you were hurt because of it."

"There's nothing to be sorry for Neville," Luna said somewhat firmly. "You would have done the same for me without a second thought so please don't lecture me that I shouldn't put myself in danger. I'm a Spiritual Heir too and I don't want you to tell me that I need to be protected."

Neville shook his head. "Luna, no one has more faith in you than I do. I just want you to know that without you, I have no reason to fight. So, if not for me then for the world we're supposed to save, please be careful."

Luna smiled and kissed Neville. "I'll do it for both."

They stayed in the embrace for a few moments, just breathing in each other's complete essence.

"I love you Luna," Neville whispered. "More than humanly possible. Will you marry me?"

Surprised at the sudden proposal, Luna stepped back and stared at Neville in shock. "Neville," she started. "Please don't just propose to me because you're suddenly aware of our own mortality!"

"Oh gods no!" Neville assured her. He took her anxious hands in his own and gently rubbed them. "Luna, I've wanted to marry you for so long. Yes, our mortality made me act sooner than I thought, but that's only because I don't want to die without having the honor of being your husband."

Tears leaked out of Luna's eyes.

Neville wiped the tears away with his thumb and kissed her eyelashes. "I did want to propose to you in a more romantic way, but I couldn't hold it in anymore. I've got the Longbottom engagement rings in my room, I've been holding onto them since we left the trunk."

Luna giggled and kissed Neville back. "I would love to marry you Neville, but only if you can promise me that you will do everything in your power, because I plan to do everything in mine, that we live a long life together."

"Deal," Neville whispered.

For that moment at least, there was no war going on and Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood were just two people in love who were just happy to stay in each other's embrace.

* * *

After their moment by the fake pool, Neville had proposed the correct way and gave Luna the engagement ring. Once they had a heavy kissing session, they went back to the dining room to find that Harry was already back and they were waiting on them.

As soon as they walked in the room, Hermione's ever observant eyes zoned in on the ring on Luna's ring finger and gave a very un-Hermione-like squeal.

"You're engaged," she said excitedly. She ran over to her best friend and gave her a hug.

"You'll have to be my maid of honor," Luna practically ordered her.

Hermione rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. "Well of course! You're mine after all!"

While the girls hurriedly talked about Luna's engagement, Harry clapped Neville on the back.

"Congratulations Mate," he said happily.

Neville's smile was almost too big for his face. "Took me long enough though."

They spent ten more minutes congratulating Neville and Luna. Once everyone had calmed down, Harry pulled out something from his pocket. When he held it up, everyone saw that it was a simple golden ring.

"I talked with Griphook and he told me how to get to Potter Manor. He also told me about Dumbledore stopping by Gringotts to find out why the Weasels weren't getting their annual payment from my vaults."

Hermione's eyes narrowed at the mention of the marriage contract that Dumbledore had arranged for Harry. "I hope they treated Dumbledore like the arse he is."

Harry smiled and nodded. "Oh yes, Griphook is personally making sure of it. Anyway, Griphook gave me the address to Potter Manor, it's under the Fidelius Charm, but Griphook had access to the secret as the manager of my accounts. Now that I know the secret Griphook doesn't know it and I'm effectively the Secret Keeper. Griphook also gave me the Potter Manor portkey. According to Griphook, only I, as Lord Potter, can not only activate the portkey ring but also duplicate it."

Hermione took the ring from Harry's hand and examined it. "That's quite the impressive feat of magic. Does this mean that you have a different portkey for each property?"

"Griphook said that I could tie the other properties into the portkey, but it would take time. I'll take care of that when I see him next. Now, I'll make copies of the portkey for all of you."

Harry took the portkey back and put it on the table in front of him. He then took out a small knife that he always kept on his person and sliced his palm open. When his hand was covered with blood, he put the knife down and put the ring in his bloody hand. When the ring was covered with blood, he took out his alder wand and pointed it at the ring.

"Geminio," he said.

The ring in his hand instantly doubled. Harry took the clean ring and put it in the table and kept saying the spell until he had enough rings for all of them.

As soon as there were enough rings, Hermione healed Harry's hand while shaking her head. "I wish that blood magic wasn't used for everything with the Ancient Houses."

"No worries Love," Harry assured her. "With you to heal me I'll be fine. Now, would you help me out here and size the rings?"

Hermione sighed, but didn't comment again. She sized all of the rings so that they fit everyone perfectly. While Hermione, Luna and Neville simply wore them on their fingers, the familiars and Goldengaze wore them differently.

Fay wore hers around her foot almost like a tracking bracelet, Sage, at his insistence, wore his as an earring, and Kex and Ivy chose to wear theirs as collars.

"Why did you have to have an earring?" Neville asked Sage while wiping the dried blood off of the wolf's ear.

"_Because it's cool_," Sage said back.

Neville sighed, but let the argument drop.

Goldengaze wore his around his wrist and looked at it curiously. "This is some old magic. It's rather impressive."

Harry smiled and cleaned the original with a simple spell. "They shouldn't come off easily, but if they do tell me right away cause I can destroy it by using the original."

"How do we activate them?" Luna asked.

"First I have to tell you the secret, but the password is 'unity'. As long as you know the Fidelius secret, have the portkey and know the portkey's password, you shouldn't have any issues getting to Potter Manor."

Everyone around the table nodded. After Harry told them all the secret, they all looked at each other before touching their portkeys and saying 'unity'.

They all felt the pull of a portkey and were whisked away. When they landed, they landed on a cold, stone floor. Harry helped Hermione up and lit up his alder wand.

The light illuminated a large, stone room with a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling above their heads. There were two sets of stairs that led to the second floor that seemed to frame the hallway that sat in-between the stairs. Comfortable chairs were scattered around the fireplace that was in the side of the room. They all wanted to explore, but they all knew that they would probably get lost in the large manor.

"Hey Dobby," Harry asked the house elf who had come with them. "How do I summon all of my house elves?"

Dobby pointed to the rings around Harry's neck. "Until Master knows all his elves names, he can summon them by using the rings."

Harry nodded and put his rings on his hand. He put them against his mouth and said uncertainly, "Um, could all my house elves please come to me. Please."

Dobby giggled at Harry's request and stood by Harry's side.

Loud 'cracks' filled the room they were in and Harry soon found himself facing about sixty elves. Thirty of the elves stood on his left while the rest stood on his right.

"Um, hi," Harry said lamely. "I'm Harry Potter, and I'm the Lord Potter-Black."

One elf stepped forward from each group. They shared a mild glare before bowing deeply.

"Greetings Lord Potter-Black," the one on the right said. "My name is Stone and I am the Head Potter Elf."

The elf from the left bowed deeper. "I am Flint my Lord and I am the Head Black Elf."

Harry looked at the two groups of elves and shifted anxiously when he saw that they obviously didn't get along. "It's nice to meet you two and I look forward to meeting the rest of you. I called you all here to give you a chance to get to meet me and so that I could understand what you guys do. But first," he put his hand on Dobby's shoulder. "This is Dobby. He and another elf, Winky, are my Head Elves. They will both oversee both families that I am lord of, but they won't step on your toes unless required."

Stone and Flint looked at Dobby; Stone looked kindly at the younger elf while Flint was practically sneering.

"I know that the Potter and Black families haven't necessarily gotten along in the past," Harry said nervously. "But, all of you are on the same side and I would like it if we could all get along. Now, could you guys tell me who works where?"

Instantly, the two large groups shifted into four smaller groups while Stone and Flint stayed separate. Stone nodded to Flint politely who nodded back somewhat begrudgingly. Flint explained that one group looked after Black Manor while the other one lived at Black Manor, but looked after the other properties.

Stone said that his elves had the same system and introduced the elves that looked after Potter Manor.

Harry noticed that only Stone and Flint were speaking and that the other elves were hanging back. "I would like the opportunity to meet all of you. If there's anything that I can do to help you, then please do not hesitate to ask. All I ask for is that I have your loyalty. It's one thing to serve a master; it's another to be loyal to a friend."

Dobby stepped forward and held the older elves' gaze without flinching. "Master Harry is a wonderful master," he said boldly. "Dobby was abused by his former masters and Master Harry saved him. Winky was released from her family and Master Harry saved her. Master Harry is a friend to the elves and deserves your loyalty. If he doesn't have it yet then he will earn it because that is what Master Harry does."

Stone and Flint shared a glance before they gave Harry a smile.

"Would Master Harry and the Black house elves like a tour?" Stone asked.

* * *

A/N- I'm not going to be able to update for a while so I thought I'd get a chapter out. Please review! -Phoenix


	21. Black Manor

**A/N- If anyone has any ideas for house-elf names I would appreciate it. Review! – Phoenix**

* * *

Stone led everyone on a tour of Potter Manor while the Potter elves went to do some last second cleaning. They wanted their new lord to be impressed with their work.

They saw the downstairs first. The dining room was the first room that they saw and Hermione had to remind Harry to breathe. The dining room was as big as the Dursley's house. Stone explained that the dining room was mostly for formal events and that the past Potter Manor occupants would eat in the much smaller dining room that was attached to the kitchen.

A little further down from the dining hall was a ballroom. Stone told Harry that a lord often throws parties, thus the need for a ballroom. The ballroom itself was almost the size of a football field. Harry asked how such a large ballroom fit in a house and Stone simply informed him that the House's magic was ancient.

Aside from a pool, a training room and a door that led downstairs to the potion lab and basement area, the only room left downstairs was the kitchen. When they entered the kitchen, Dobby was grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh Master Harry," he breathed. "Winky will love this."

Harry had to agree. The kitchen was almost three times the size of the kitchen in the trunk. There were pantries, fridges and freezers lining the walls, the stainless steel counters were absolutely spotless; there were five ovens and an incredibly large sink.

"May I introduce our head chef, Dolan," Stone introduced.

A male house elf stepped forward from the Potter elf group and bowed low. "Greetings Master Harry. I am Dolan and I am the new head chef. Our former head chef and my mentor, Nona, passed away a couple of years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that Dolan," Harry said sincerely. "May I ask, what have you been doing since the house became empty?"

Dolan smiled at Harry's sincerity over his loss. "Your grandparents ordered before they died that until you claimed your inheritance and came to live in your house, we were to shelter and feed injured magical creatures. When your name began appearing in the papers we began bringing food and supplies to the creatures while your properties were prepared."

Harry was impressed. "That's a great thing to do. Please, don't stop helping other magical creatures just because I've finally claimed my inheritance."

Dolan smiled even bigger. "Of course Master Harry."

The tour continued outside. Because Potter Manor was located in the mountains, the view was incredible. There were small shacks scattered on the edge of the property where the house elves lodged. Harry talked quietly to Stone and requested that the shacks be made bigger and insulated properly so that his elves would have more comfortable lodging. The last thing Harry wanted was for his house elves to be uncomfortable or cold.

Harry's favorite part of the outside was the small Quidditch Pitch. The Pitch wasn't regulation size, but it was the perfect size for a scrimmage game. Plus, since Harry wasn't planning on joining the team this year it would be just the thing needed to keep his skills from getting rusty.

"You do realize that you'll have to play," Harry smirked at Hermione who paled slightly. "Oh come on Love! I thought that you'd love flying by now."

Hermione shuddered and Harry put a comforting arm around her. "No matter how many times I'm in the air, I'll never be perfectly comfortable with flying."

They went back inside and Stone led everyone upstairs. The Black elves still wrinkled their noses distastefully from being so close to Potter elves and Harry realized that it would be a while until they would be comfortable together.

The upstairs was home to the personal rooms, bathrooms, the library and even an observatory upstairs. There were two main rooms, each with a private bathroom, one nursery and ten smaller, but still luxurious rooms. Each small room had a bathroom that it shared with the room next door to it, two rooms shared one bathroom.

The library wasn't as big as the one in the trunk, but Stone informed them that was because Harry's mother had taken most of the books and put them in the trunk when they went into hiding. Harry decided to move the library back to the Manor where it belonged.

Stone showed them the two master bedrooms. There was more than enough room in each room for two people to live in each.

When the tour was over, Stone led everyone back to the room where they had entered. He and the other Potter elves bowed and were smiling brightly.

"Will Lord Potter-Black be moving in Potter Manor?" Stone asked hopefully.

"Of course," Harry said instantly. "Before I move in here though, I want to look at the Black properties and make some decisions. I haven't gone public with my titles yet and I need all of your words that you won't tell anyone."

All of the elves gave their word, the Black elves somewhat begrudgingly.

"Flint, tomorrow we'll come and look at Black Manor, everyone including the Potter elves," Harry told the head Black elf. "You can expect us at eleven." Harry smiled at all of his house elves. "Thank you all for coming here today, and remember that if there's anything you need do not hesitate to come to me. When I go public with my titles, I will need all of you desperately."

The house elves brightened and bowed even lower before they all, minus Stone, apparated away.

"Would you like for me to have the two main rooms prepared?" Stone asked. "I could have two of the smaller rooms magicked so that they are main rooms as well."

Harry hesitated and blushed. "Well Stone um…I'm engaged to Hermione and…"

Stone smirked at his young master. "Would Master Harry like to room with his betrothed?"

Hermione blushed as well, but smiled at Harry and nodded. Harry blushed deeper and nodded to Stone. "Yes please."

"Stone," Neville said politely. "I am engaged to Luna and we would like to share a room as well. We were planning on rooming together in the trunk, but Potter Manor's rooms are much more spacious."

Stone chuckled. "The two main rooms will be prepared. If I may ask, when will you be moving in?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I'd like to get out of the dorms as soon as possible, but we aren't prepared for that yet."

"I'll be done with my project by tomorrow hopefully," Hermione told him.

Harry nodded and turned back to Stone. "We'll move in next weekend so you and the other Potter elves will have plenty of time. This will also give us time to try out Hermione's solution. Now, we need to get back. I'll summon you and the other Potter elves when we arrive at Black Manor tomorrow."

Stone nodded and smiled even wider.

Goldengaze, who had remained silent during the whole tour, asked Harry, "How do we navigate where our portkeys take us on the return trip? I have to plan my lessons for next week tonight if I'm going to explore Black Manor with you tomorrow."

"Griphook said to just picture the destination," Harry said. "If you picture your office, your portkey should take you there.

Goldengaze nodded and touched his portkey with his other paw. "Come to my office at eleven and we will go from there, if that's agreeable."

When everyone agreed, Goldengaze bid them goodbye and disappeared.

"I'm going to go to the trunk to work on my project," Hermione told them. "We need to do a test run before we move and I need to be finished with them in order for that to happen."

Harry kissed her cheek. "I'll come get you for dinner Love."

Hermione kissed him back and activated her portkey. When Hermione was gone, Harry shook Stone's hand, much to the elf's surprise, and activated his portkey followed by everyone else.

The next day the group met at Goldengaze's office right before 11. Harry had gone to Griphook earlier and had added his Black properties and all of his Potter properties to the main portkey. He added Black Manor to all of his friend's portkeys and explained that the password to Black Manor was 'purity'. He also said that he planned on changing the password as soon as possible. Harry told them the secret so that they could access Black Manor and all of them left.

When they touched solid ground, Harry immediately felt a difference in atmosphere. While Potter Manor had a warm feeling that made him feel welcome, Black Manor was cold and felt hostile.

Barely suppressing a shiver, Harry summoned his elves. They all appeared before him with a loud 'pop'. Harry had a big smile on his face when he saw the work that Winky had put into hers and Dobby's new uniforms.

Dobby now wore brown breeches with a brown tunic that was trimmed with black and red thread that weaved around each other. On his chest he wore the Potter crest but it was trimmed with black. Winky wore a brown dress that was trimmed the same as Dobby's was, but on her chest she wore the Black crest trimmed with red.

"Bloody hell Winky, those look great!" Harry exclaimed.

Winky blushed and curtsied. "Winky thought that because Winky and Dobby are both Master Harry's head elves, **we** should each wear a crest."

"Dob…I mean **I** wanted to wear the Potter crest Master Harry," Dobby said brightly. "Serving the Potter family is a dream come true and **I** wanted to wear it proudly."

Harry smiled in pride at how Dobby and Winky were working so hard to improve their grammar. "You guys look great. Winky, would it be too much to ask of you to update the other elves' uniforms by adding that trim? I don't want there to be any confusion about the fact that we're all one family now."

Winky nodded and beamed with pride. "I will get started on them right after the tour Master Harry."

While Winky was smiling, Flint stepped forward and glanced with a little hostility at the Black crest on her chest. "Would Master Harry like the tour now?"

"Yes Flint, please," Harry responded.

Without another word, Flint turned around and showed them the manor.

Right away everyone could tell that the previous Black lords preferred things cold and gloomy. The manor wasn't as big as Potter Manor, but Harry was still intrigued by it. Apart from the similar sized ballrooms and bedrooms, there weren't many differences. Hermione noticed that the library was filled with dark texts and Neville had to wrestle with a book when it tried to pull Luna inside of it.

It made Harry slightly nauseous, but the most useful room inside of Black Manor was the dungeon. There were dozens of incredibly small cells in the dungeon that were heavily spelled to resist any form of magical transportation, communication and when Hermione translated the runes that were etched on the door of each cell they learned that the cells actually suppressed the magic of the person inside of it. Eager to test them out, Harry had them lock him in the cell. As soon as the door was locked, he felt his magic get cut off. He tried apparating and tried using his alder wand, but neither worked.

"This will be very useful," Luna said softly. "We all knew that we have to fight in the gray area because it's impossible to win a war and be completely 'light'."

Neville put his arm around her. "It doesn't make it any easier though."

The rest of the tour went well. When the tour was over Harry dismissed the Potter elves and said that they would be moving in to Potter Manor on Saturday, making the elves shake with excitement. Once all the Potter elves were gone, Harry turned to the Black elves and had a serious expression on his face.

"I know that you guys have seen your fair share of dark things in the past," Harry said with a sigh. "And…I'm afraid that because of the war we will be doing some more things that can be considered 'dark'."

Flint looked at Harry in surprise. "What do you mean Lord Potter-Black?"

Harry rubbed his eyes. "We can't win a war by simply stunning the Death Eaters. I have a job for you and the other Black elves."

When Harry seemed to struggle with what needed to be said, Neville stepped forward. "We want you to turn Black Manor into a secure prison. When we catch a Death Eater, we plan on sending them here."

"Not that I don't trust all of you," Harry said when he got his voice back. "But, I'm giving you all an order as Lord Black. None of you are to imply in the slightest of what is going on here. No writing, mailing, telling, nothing that could possibly give us away."

The Black elves looked shocked at the request. "Master…what you are requesting is not new to us," Flint said after a moment. "But we are shocked that you would make such a request. You are known as the hero of the wizarding world and we never dreamed that you would ask us to make you a secure prison."

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't **want** to make a prison," he said softly. "But we want to win this war, and the only way to do that is to be gray."

Flint studied Harry with interest. "Master Harry, we will make your prison and you will have no need to worry about betrayal. House elf laws are very clear in the fact that we cannot betray our masters. The elf, Kreacher, was killed when Sirius Black was killed. I will personally deal with any elf who even thinks about betraying you."

"Please don't kill any," Hermione begged. "If you catch any who plan on betraying us, please just let us know and we'll try to find a way to deal with it without killing."

"If you wish Mistress," Flint said hesitantly. "But even if I do not have them killed they will be slowly poisoned to death through their magic because of the Black contract's punishment. If I dealt with traitors then they would have a swifter death and I would hopefully be able to deal with them before you are betrayed."

Hermione bit her lip in anger but chose not to comment.

When Harry sensed Hermione calming down he took in a deep breath. "I'll leave the prison planning to you and the other Black elves. I'd like all of you to not mention this to the Potter elves until I've discussed it with them. If you need to reach me, contact me through Dobby or Winky, they know how to reach me without giving me away."

Flint nodded. "When would you like your prison to be ready? Also, would you like for me and the other Black elves to add house-elf wards to the property?"

Harry nodded. "The wards would be great. I can't give you a date to finish because I don't know when we'll need it. But, probably the sooner the better without compromising the job. We'll stop by after we've moved into Potter Manor to check on the progress."

"Very good Master," Flint said with a bow. "I will have the elves start right away."

They all said goodbye to the elves and activated their portkeys with the trunk visualized in their minds. When their feet were back on solid ground, Hermione told them to wait in the dining room and went running to her room with Ivy right behind her.

After a few minutes of waiting, Hermione ran into the dining room where everybody was gathered. In her arms were what looked like four dolls, except these dolls had no faces and were dressed in pajamas.

"Um Love," Harry said hesitantly. "I think your dolls are defective."

Hermione laughed and put the four dolls on the table. "I finished my little project. These 'defective' dolls are the answer to our housing situation."

Luna picked up one of the dolls and her eyes widened in surprise. "This doll is wearing the exact same pajamas that I wear."

"That one is yours," Hermione said while she handed one to Harry and one to Neville. "I charmed these dolls to enlarge and effectively become our dopple-gangers. When we get ready for bed we just need to put our doll on our bed and enlarge it. Each doll has a mild notice-me-not charm so people won't notice that the dolls aren't breathing. Here, let me show you with mine."

She put her doll on the table and poked it in-between the eyes with her wand. The doll was encased in a blue glow for a second before it expanded. Lying on the table right where the doll was put was a perfect replica of Hermione. The doll now had a face and its eyes were closed peacefully, making it look like it was sleeping.

"That's incredible Hermione," Luna praised. "But what about our familiars?"

Hermione grinned and pulled something small and brown from her pocket. Upon closer inspection they saw that it was a small fennec fox doll, not even the size of Hermione's fist. "Of course I made dolls for them too. But, for them I had to transfigure items into dolls that represented their species. Before you can use your dolls I'm afraid that they need to be…well programmed. I needed to use some basic blood magic on these dolls and they won't be complete until they get the blood."

She put the fennec fox doll on the table before deactivating her own doll with another wand poke between the eyes. Hermione then took a small pin from her pocket and poked Ivy's paw with enough force to only draw a few drops of blood. Ivy held her paw above her doll and let a few drops of blood drip onto the doll. The doll glowed green but faded quickly. After the light died down Ivy quickly stopped the bleeding with a hasty lick and pressed her paw on the doll. Instantly, the doll grew and everyone looked at Ivy's replica.

"Bloody hell," Harry and Neville breathed at the same time while their familiars nodded in agreement.

Fay jumped from her perch on Luna's shoulder and poked the Ivy doll with her beak. "_Very impressive. The fur is real and the body feels warm as if it is in fact alive. It's a good thing that there's a mild notice-me-not charm on the dolls because I can't even tell that it's not breathing_."

Hermione smiled and handed out the familiar dolls. "Each doll needs a few drops of your blood. But be careful to not get anyone else's blood on them. I don't think a human doll with fur would be very helpful."

When everyone personalized their dolls they went to their respective rooms to pack up whatever belongings they still had. Moving day was coming up, but none of them would forget that the trunk was a safe haven to all of them. But they had to move forward. War didn't make allowances for emotional teenagers and they were going to be in the thick of it. They only hoped that they would be prepared for what was still to come.

* * *

**A/N- I didn't realize how long it had been since my last update until I looked at my profile. To make up for it, I'll add a little action in my next chapter. Review! -Phoenix**


	22. Hogsmeade

**A/N- Whoo hoo! Broke the thousand review mark! Thank you all for reviewing my story and I hope that you'll continue to do so. When I get a lot of reviews I try to update as quickly as possible! –Phoenix**

* * *

The week went by dreadfully slow for everyone. Their classes weren't keeping their attention because they knew all the material that was being covered and they had to keep an eye open for Ron, Ginny and Dumbledore.

Their test run with the dolls went better than even Hermione had hoped. They had waited until their rooms were empty when they activated the dolls. Then they arranged the dolls on the bed so that they appeared to be sleeping and they put spells on the curtains to prevent their roommates from touching the doll or anything. In the mornings they apparated back to their rooms while invisible thanks to their vests and deactivated the doll. After four days of sleeping in the trunk no one even noticed that they weren't actually the ones in their beds.

On Friday night, Harry, Hermione, Neville and their familiars stood in front of the message board in the Gryffindor common room and frowned at the notice that was in front of them.

"A Hogsmeade visit already?" Neville groaned quietly. "If we don't go it'll seem suspicious. I'll have to go talk to Chief tonight and tell him that I'll be late on my first day of training."

Harry frowned and bit his lip in frustration. "What is Dumbledore playing at? With Voldemort's return public knowledge then there should be extra precautions on these visits. Something tells me that there aren't even wards around Hogsmeade to protect the students."

Hermione lightly brushed Harry's hand with her own. Sadly, that was the most amount of contact that they were safe with currently while in Hogwarts. "If anything, we should go in order to protect the students in case there is an attack."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Everyone wears their dragonhide tomorrow then," Harry said firmly. "Even the familiars."

Kex fidgeted on Harry's shoulder. "_Wouldn't that look suspicious then? You guys can wear your dragonhide under your clothes, but we can't. What will people think when they see four animals walking around Hogsmeade wearing dragonhide armor_?"

Harry shook his head stubbornly. "I don't care; I'm not risking your safety. We'll glamour them so they don't look like dragonhide."

Kex nuzzled against Harry's cheek affectionately. "_Don't worry Harry, we'll be okay. If there is an attack then we'll finally get to put our skills to the test in a real situation_." In a whisper he added, "_you won't get rid of me easily so don't worry about me getting hurt_."

With a sigh, Harry nodded. They went to their dorms and apparated to the trunk where they met Luna and Fay. Luna was pacing in the training room anxiously and went straight to Neville's arms when she saw them.

"I have a real bad feeling about this Hogsmeade visit," Luna whispered to Neville who ran his fingers through her hair.

"It's alright," Neville whispered to her. "We won't go unprepared. I have to go talk to Chief, but I'll be right back."

Luna nodded and stepped back so Neville could grab onto Sage and apparate. She and Neville had learned elf apparition from Hermione and were finally able to do short trips.

While Neville was with the centaur tribe, they went to prepare for the next day. If they were lucky then they were simply being paranoid, but they weren't known as the luckiest group in the Wizarding World.

Harry sharpened his sword on the floor of the training room while Hermione waxed her bow and bowstring before adding griffin feathers (a gift from Goldengaze) to her arrows. Luna took out her sword-breaker and went through a few slices and jabs to help her body get used to the weapon that she hadn't used in a while.

After a while, Harry looked at Hermione with somewhat pleading eyes. "Is there anything that I can say to get you to stay behind?" he asked quietly.

Right away, Hermione stiffened and she glared at Harry. "I don't need to be protected," she whispered hotly.

Harry got up and walked over to Hermione and gently brushed her hair out of her eyes. "I know you don't, but please understand where I'm coming from Love. I have lost everyone who ever loved me, and if you joined them then I don't think that I could go on."

Hermione sighed and kissed Harry on the cheek. "I can't sit by and do nothing Harry. Please understand that I can't be a victim again, and by asking me to stay behind you are asking me to be one. I love you more than I ever thought possible, but I will not let you make me a victim."

Harry took in a deep breath and gave Hermione a shaky smile. "I'm sorry Mione'. But please…be careful."

Another tender kiss on the cheek helped calm Harry's nerves. "It'll take a lot to take me out," she whispered. "I will be marrying you Harry and I will be a very unhappy witch if either of us is killed before that can happen."

* * *

The next day, Harry and his friends walked to Hogsmeade while keeping an open eye for anything suspicious. The Heirs wore their dragonhide under their clothes and the familiars wore their armor but it was glamoured to look like their bodies. Their weapons were glamoured as well with a charm so strong that not even Mad-Eye could see through it and they wore them on their backs where they were quickly accessible.

While the Heirs were keeping an eye out, the familiars, minus Fay, were tasting the air for any hint of danger. Thanks to their bond with their wizards/witch, they knew what Death Eaters looked and smelled like even though they had never actually met any. Fay flew over their heads and kept a sharp eye out for any activity.

"We need to loosen up," Luna said when they reached Hogsmeade and Fay perched on her shoulder. "We'll gather attention if we look like we're expecting anything."

"What do you propose we do Luna?" Hermione asked.

Luna smiled and shrugged. "I propose that we just get some shopping done. If an attack happens then we'll be prepared, but we don't have to be on edge during the whole day."

Everyone agreed and they went in the shops to browse. When they entered the bookstore, Hermione and Ivy found a couple of volumes that they knew weren't in the Potter Library. They bought the books and stored them in Hermione's bottomless shoulder bag. After a quick stop to buy more ink and quills, they decided to head over to The Three Broomsticks for a drink.

They spotted Ron and Ginny scanning the area outside of the pub and quickly went into the nearest shop before they could see them.

Harry groaned in frustration and ran a hand through his hair. "Why can't they leave us alone?" he asked.

Hermione smiled sadly. "Maybe they will one day. Let's just go to Madam Puddifoots."

Before anyone could agree, they felt a large number of people apparate into the area. A second later screams began filling the village. They all shared an alarmed glance before they sprinted out of the shop.

Walking confidently in the village were fifteen Death Eaters. They wore their cloaks and masks so Harry couldn't recognize any of them. They sent curses all over the street and Harry gritted his teeth in fury when he saw one Death Eater hit a third year student with a cutting curse which sent the student to the ground, crying in pain.

"Follow Luna's plan," Harry instructed. "Neville, Hermione and I fight while Luna sends our prison's first prisoners to Flint. Neville and Hermione fight guard while I fight point. Sage, Ivy and Kex you need to body merge and Fay you continue to survey the fight from above." At everyone's affirmative nod Harry said grimly, "Time to work."

The familiars, minus Fay, body merged with their wizards/witch and the Heirs ran into the formation that Luna had planned. Luna activated her vest, which she still wore, and hung to the wall. Harry quickly put his Black ring to his mouth and told Flint to prepare Black Manor for the first round of prisoners and ran to face the people who were no better in his eye than scum.

Harry drew out his legal wand and sent a stunner at the closest Death Eater. The Death Eater fell to the ground and spun around to face Harry.

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted.

The Death Eater dodged the stunner and shouted, "Crucio!"

Harry dodged the Unforgivable with ease and continued dueling with the Death Eater. He sent a stunner that was masked by a disarming spell and smiled in grim satisfaction when he saw the Death Eater he had just beaten along with the Death Eater he had previously beaten seemingly vanish into thin air.

Without taking time to enjoy his grim victory, Harry turned to face his next opponent. He took down another Death Eater and saw with relief that Hermione and Neville were faring well against their opponents. As soon as a Death Eater fell, he would disappear before a fellow Death Eater could revive him.

"Incendio!" Harry heard Hermione cry. He turned around and felt a grim smile fill his face when he saw that Hermione had set a Death Eater's robes on fire. While the Death Eater put out the fire Hermione cried, "Stupefy!" knocking out her opponent.

Harry took down two more Death Eaters when he felt his body merge with Kex begin to waver.

"_I'm almost out of magic Harry_," Kex said tiredly through their bond. "_I don't know how long I'll be able to hold it much longer_."

"Just a little longer mate," Harry said determinedly. "There's only a handful left."

A quick look showed that Hermione and Neville were beginning to tire as well. "Damn," Harry cursed. "We trained for so long and we didn't even realize that we tire more quickly when we've body merged."

"_Damn_," Kex cursed as well. "_We should drop the merge before you're drained_."

"I guess we don't have a choice," Harry sighed.

There was a 'crack' and Kex was standing in front of Harry. The pine marten's eyes were tired and he swayed unsteadily on his paws.

"Stay out of the fight Kex, you're too tired," Harry instructed.

Kex glared at Harry for a moment before he nodded and got out of the way. When Hermione and Neville saw Kex take cover, they canceled their own body merges and instructed their familiars to hide.

There were only four more Death Eaters and Harry was beginning to have difficulty sending out a simple stunner.

_The gem on my alder wand is full of magic_, Harry thought while he wiped the sweat from his brow. _But I don't want to reveal my wand in Hogsmeade when Dumbledore might not be far behind_.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Neville's cry of pain. Harry looked at Neville in alarm and his eyes narrowed when he saw that Neville's arm had been hit with a bone-breaking-curse.

"Expelliarmus! Stupefy!" Harry shouted in succession at Neville's attacker when his back was turned.

The Death Eater's wand flew from his wand and was knocked unconscious before he realized what happened. Neville grit his teeth in pain and went on to duel the next Death Eater.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Neville shouted while he dodged the killing curse.

Anger at the headmaster filled Harry's veins as he grimly noticed that Dumbledore wasn't coming. He sensed Luna's worry for her fiancé right by his side and he turned to whisper, "leave two."

He felt Luna gently tap his arm to show that she understood. The few remaining Death Eaters looked like they were preparing to apparate out of Hogsmeade and Harry quickly cast an anti-apparition ward to keep them in.

When one of the Death Eaters saw who cast the ward, he pointed an angry wand at him. "Potter! The Dark Lord will kill you and all you love!"

The Death Eater's voice made the hairs on Harry's arms stand up. "You can tell your half-blood leader that it won't be me who dies at the end of this war," Harry said coldly.

The Death Eater laughed cruelly, but stopped abruptly. Even though the Death Eater was wearing a mask, Harry saw that he was looking past him over his shoulder.

"Well, well, well," the Death Eater laughed. "It looks like the mudblood survived! I thought that I did a pretty good job taking care of you, but apparently I need to be more thorough."

Harry looked out of the corner of his eye and saw that Hermione's eyes were wide with disbelief and she was shaking so hard that she was barely holding onto her wand. "You're the bastard that nearly killed her?" Harry roared in fury.

Fury clouded Harry's judgment and he almost reached for his alder wand to blast the Death Eater's head off when a stunner came from the other direction followed by two more to stun the remaining Death Eaters. Harry looked at the direction of the stunners and felt his stomach drop when he saw Albus Dumbledore standing there with his wand and looking rather pleased with himself. While Dumbledore wasn't looking, Luna sent Hermione's attacker to the prison before he noticed.

"Do not fear young Harry, you are safe," Dumbledore said a little smugly.

Harry clenched his hands in anger. "Thank you _**Professor**_," he said coldly.

Without waiting for a response, Harry went over to Hermione and gently shook her shoulders. "Are you okay Mione'? Please say something!"

Hermione blinked a couple of times before she registered that Harry was there. Tears filled her eyes and it was only the sight of Dumbledore watching them with a calculating look that prevented her from diving into Harry's arms. "He was one of them," she whispered. "He was the one who stabbed me."

Harry used wandless Legilimency to send feelings of love and comfort to Hermione. Everything that he couldn't convey through touch, he conveyed through their bond. Hermione smiled sadly and Harry felt her gratitude, but he still felt her overwhelming sadness.

Their moment was interrupted when Dumbledore walked up to them. His eyes were twinkling as if he was given an invaluable piece of information. "Mister Potter, Miss Granger, I am sending the students back to the castle. I would like for you to escort Mister Longbottom to the Hospital Wing to get his arm healed and to get yourselves looked over."

Harry nodded curtly and led Hermione over to Neville. He sensed Luna hovering behind Neville and he smiled reassuringly before he helped Neville to his feet.

They made their way back to Hogwarts at an irritatingly slow pace. Luna became visible halfway back to the castle and took Neville's unbroken arm in her own and she spoke softly to him. When they arrived at the Hospital Wing they saw that it was full of injured students who had been caught in the crossfire of the attack. Madam Pomfrey healed Neville's arm without even blinking and sent them on their way.

"I think it's time to check in with Flint," Harry said quietly when they left the Hospital Wing. "It looks like our Death Eater solution will be put into effect much sooner than we thought."

* * *

Albus Dumbledore answered the Auror's questions about the attack and quickly left the clean up to the Order members as well as some of his staff. With practiced ease, he cast a glamour charm on himself and apparated to his destination. He landed in a nice, muggle neighborhood and he swiftly walked to one house in particular.

Unknown to Harry, Dumbledore had arrived just in time to hear the little outburst at the Death Eater. Even though the Death Eater had vanished when his back was turned, he had heard enough to warrant an investigation.

He stopped outside of his destination and smiled when he saw the 'for sale' sign that was on the lawn. A quick wave of his wand showed that there were magical traces of the killing curse inside of the house.

Albus Dumbledore chuckled to himself and he felt the gears in his head begin to work at all the possibilities that were now within his grasp.

"Well, well Miss Granger," he chuckled. "It seems that you have been keeping secrets from me."

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**A/N- I wanted to get this chapter out quickly because it's that point of the semester when everything is due at the same time. I also wanted to give a heads up because I might not be able to update frequently during the summer. I'll try to get a few more chapters out before then, but I can't make any promises. Review! -Phoenix**


	23. A Death Eater's Fate

**A/N- Say hello to my one of my last chapters for the semester. Because I don't know if I'll be able to update during the summer, I wanted to write a nice long chapter with plenty of stuff happening. So hopefully you will get a couple intense chapters before I vanish off of the fanfiction world for who knows how long. Please review! –Phoenix**

* * *

As soon as they were able, they used their portkeys to take them to Black Manor. Once they were there they saw that the Black elves were running all over the place doing the final preparations. Harry grimly led the way to the dungeon, but was stopped by Flint who bowed low.

"My apologies Lord Potter-Black, but we are still securing the prisoners. The wards haven't been used in a while and they're still warming up so to speak. I have your elves restraining the Death Eaters that you sent to me."

Harry nodded approvingly. "Thank you Flint. I'm sorry that we had to send you our first prisoners before you were completely ready."

Flint shook his head and smirked. "You can hardly plan when you're going to be attacked my Lord."

Hermione, who was still slightly pale after meeting her attacker, bent over so she could speak with Flint at eye level. "Flint, is the interrogation area ready?"

"Indeed Mistress," Flint said with a bow. "I did have to explain to a few elves that you weren't going to torture your prisoners. You have a warded cell that is separate from the others as well as goblin-made chains to secure your prisoner."

"Thank you Flint," Hermione said with a dry smile. "Could you have some of the elves bring one prisoner to the room? It's time for me to do my work as Slytherin's Heir."

Five minutes later, Hermione was standing outside of the secured room while a couple Black elves finished securing the random Death Eater. Behind her stood her best friends, the familiars and Goldengaze who had joined them after Hogsmeade had been cleaned up.

"Are you sure that you don't want one of us to do it Mione'?" Harry asked for the third time.

Hermione looked over her shoulder and smiled bitterly. "No offense guys, but your Legilimency isn't good enough to get the information we need. Even if each Death Eater has amazing Occlumency shields it won't be enough to stop me."

Harry frowned at the tone Hermione used to talk about her gift with mind magics. "Love…you aren't a bad person for doing this…"

"Aren't I?" Hermione interrupted. "I'm basically raping this person's mind, even if it is for dire information for the war." She took in a few deep breaths and calmed herself. "I'll be fine. Just please have the other room ready for when I'm done."

Harry put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "If it's him," he whispered, "call for me right away. Please."

Hermione nodded in agreement and took in another deep breath. With slightly trembling hands, she opened the door.

The room was blank with the exception of multiple runes on the walls and two chairs. Sitting in one of the chairs was one of the Death Eaters that Luna had sent to the prison. Determinedly, Hermione took off the Death Eater's mask and her eyes narrowed when she recognized Macnair, Buckbeak the hippogriff's would-be executioner. He was still unconscious from a stunner, but otherwise he wasn't too banged up.

After a few more shuddering breaths, Hermione pointed her wand at Macnair and muttered, "Enervate."

Immediately, Macnair regained consciousness and began surveying his surroundings. His eyes were cruel and they made Hermione feel even more uncomfortable, but she wasn't going to let him intimidate her.

"Don't bother struggling," she said in a cold tone, making Macnair realize that he wasn't alone.

His eyes narrowed when he saw who was standing in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest. "You," he spat. "Mudblood, where am I?"

Hermione's eyes were cold as she pulled the spare chair so that she was sitting right in front of him. While she sat down Macnair struggled against the goblin chains and fervently searched the room. "I said don't bother," Hermione whispered. "You're going to help us and as thanks you'll walk away from here…with only a couple alterations."

Macnair glared at her and Hermione felt him throw up Occlumency shields. With a bitter smile, Hermione pointed her wand at Macnair.

"Legilimens."

Instantly, Hermione pushed herself through Macnair's Occlumency shields. She did have to give him credit though, they were rather impressive. She waded through all of his memories and grimaced at every scream and felt nauseous at the sight of every dead body. The things that Macnair had seen and done were almost enough for Hermione to abandon her mission and run back to Harry.

After a minute of searching through memories, Hermione settled on one that caught her attention.

_Sitting on a throne in a large, dark room was a pale man, almost white, with a snake-like face wearing black robes. At his feet was a cowering and whimpering figure who was softly pleading with the cold man sitting in front of him._

"_Please my Lord," the young man whimpered. "I'll do it, just please don't use it again."_

_Voldemort laughed cruelly and pointed his wand at the trembling figure in front of him. "Crucio!"_

_The young man screamed in pain and began so convulse violently as the curse hit him straight on. "Please my Lord! I'll do it! I'll do it!"_

_A cold smile barely graced Voldemort's face as he ended the curse. "Do not disappoint me young Draco. Lord Voldemort does not forgive weakness. You have until Christmas. If you do not succeed then your father will have the pleasure of killing you."_

Hermione felt tears fill her eyes at the sight of the Slytherin who had always done his best to belittle her. Even though she couldn't stand him, she would never wish that kind of treatment on anyone.

"_I'll succeed," Malfoy whimpered. "I'll succeed."_

_On the side of the room, Macnair looked towards Lucius Malfoy and noted that he also had a cruel smile on his lips. It was as if he was looking forward to killing his son…_

Hermione jerked out of the memory and cursed when she realized that Macnair was only the muscle-man. He didn't have any idea about what Voldemort's plans were, he only fought who he was told to fight and killed who he was told to kill.

With a frustrated sigh, Hermione exited Macnair's head. The Death Eater was glaring at her, hatred evident in his eyes.

"You will not defeat the Dark Lord," he spat viciously. "He will kill you and Potter! Mudbloods, half-bloods and blood traitors will all get what they deserve!"

Hermione heard enough. With a fury that she rarely felt, she slapped Macnair with everything that she had. The Death Eater recoiled and looked at her, shocked that she had actually struck him. Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth and stained his robes.

At the sight of blood, Hermione's gaze hardened again. "Your blood is just as filthy as mine," she whispered. "Your blood is stained with all of the pain that you have inflicted upon others. If I didn't want blood on my own hands then I would say that you should be killed. But, that's what makes us better than you. I am a human being just like you, but I am better than you despite my heritage."

Macnair stared at her with a mixture of disbelief and anger. Before he could reply, Hermione opened the door to find Harry waiting right outside anxiously.

"He doesn't know anything," she said coldly. "Let's take care of him now. I don't want him anywhere near me."

Harry looked at her in concern and took her hand gently in his own. "Alright, we'll get rid of him."

For the first time in many years, Macnair felt afraid. Death Eaters were meant to defy death by ridding the land of dirty blood, but it sounded like today the earth was going to be rid of him.

* * *

One stunner and five minutes later, Macnair, who was shirtless, was chained to the floor in a different room. He was chained in the center of a five pointed star. At the top point was a large, light gray stone that was placed on a pedestal and at the other four points were Harry, Hermione, Neville and Luna. The familiars waited on the side of the room, looking on in fear and awe about what was going on.

Harry pointed his alder wand at Macnair and revived him. The Death Eater woke up and struggled in fear at what was going on.

"You say that you're better than us," Macnair spat at Hermione. "Yet you chain me to the ground just to kill me!"

Before Harry could hex him, Hermione said coldly, "I never said that we were going to kill you. We're prepared to kill if we have to, but we don't have to kill you. I'd imagine that you'll rather dislike our solution."

Harry gave Hermione a small, comforting smile. He felt her shock and anger over the things that she had seen in Macnair's mind, but he could also fear dread at what they were going to do.

"We have no right to decide what justice is," Neville said gravely. "But we can prevent you from hurting another living being ever again. Luna, are you ready?"

Luna nodded and stepped forward with a quill and a thing of ink. After dipping the quill in the ink, she drew a bunch of runes on Macnair's back.

Macnair yelled and shouted profanities that nearly made Neville curse him on the spot, but Luna continued drawing runes on his back.

"The runes that I have drawn on your back will prevent you from harming another physically and will prevent you from harming yourself," Luna explained while she activated the runes with her hazel wand. "Any pain that you inflict upon others you will feel as if it was inflicted upon you, and any desire to harm yourself will result in a compulsion charm, that is impossible to resist, to prevent it."

When the runes activated, they burned into Macnair's skin causing him to shout in pain. When the runes were done burning, the ink was gone and the runes were scarred into his skin.

"What…" Macnair stuttered.

Before he could finish, Luna went back to her point and put the quill and ink on the ground before she and the other Heirs drew ancient-looking daggers. With practiced ease, they cut their palms and let the blood fall onto the points. Once the blood touched the star, the star started glowing blood-red and surrounded Macnair whose eyes widened in fear.

"You will not harm others anymore," Harry said solemnly. "This is the fate of all Death Eaters we catch."

The Spiritual Heirs pointed their illegal wands at Macnair and said in unison, "Vox Semotus."

Macnair screamed in agony as he felt something rip from his very core. The five pointed star turned a dark blue with light that was being pulled from Macnair. The blue light covered the red and flowed into the top point where the stone sat. The stone absorbed the light and turned white before it and the five pointed star stopped glowing and resorted to their original coloring.

In the center of the star, Macnair panted heavily and sweat dripped heavily from his forehead. Harry and Neville shared a grin nod before they stepped forward and undid the chains. Without the chains to hold him up, Macnair collapsed to the floor and twitched slightly.

The four Heirs held their wands at the ready while Harry used his other hand to take a foreign wand out of his pocket and toss it at Macnair.

"That's your wand," he said dryly.

Macnair stopped trembling but continued to pant. He grabbed his wand and was surprised to discover that it felt cold in his grip. "Lumos," he said desperately but nothing happened. He continued saying spells, but nothing would happen. His magic didn't feel drained…because it wasn't there.

"What did you do to me?" he demanded. "What have you done?"

Luna walked over to the stone and put her hand on it. It felt warm under her touch. "I found a ritual in the Potter Library a long time ago. It's considered dark, but like all 'dark' magic it depends on what it's being used for. It's a ritual to strip a witch or wizard of their magic permanently. All of your magic is now stored in this stone forever. Congratulations Mr. Macnair, you're a muggle. Even a squib has more power than you now."

Macnair stared at Luna in horror and fervently tried to cast a spell. No matter how many spells he said, his magic didn't react.

"No…no!" he shouted in fury. He made a move to attack Luna when the runes began to glow and he collapsed to the floor in agony with a barely repressed yell.

The other occupants of the room looked on with a mixture of disgust and pity. Luna knelt down in front of Macnair and reached a tentative hand out to him but quickly pulled it back. She was ghostly pale and looked like she was going to be sick. Neville quickly went over to her and pulled her in his strong embrace.

"It's okay," he whispered to her while she started to cry. "Just think, now he'll never hurt another living creature again. Think of all the lives that we've saved by doing this."

Luna nodded but she didn't stop crying. The ritual had felt as dark to them as it had sounded in the book, and it made them feel dirty. Neville gently pulled Luna away and made room for Hermione who knelt in front of Macnair with her wand pointed between his eyes.

"Enjoy your new life. Stupefy."

When Macnair fell unconscious, Hermione got to work. With her mastery of Legilimency, she completely destroyed the memory of him being captured and the ritual that they used to strip his magic. By the time Hermione was done not even Voldemort would be able to recover the memory. It was impossible to recover a memory that wasn't there.

* * *

They took care of five more Death Eaters. When a Death Eater was interrogated, stripped of magic and their memory destroyed Flint personally dropped each Death Eater off hundreds of miles away from the Manor and from each other before reviving them and leaving.

After they did the last Death Eater, none of them had the energy left to do another ritual. With a weary sigh, Neville kissed Luna and he and Sage went to the Forbidden Forest for his first training session with the centaurs.

Harry did a final sweep of the dungeon to make sure that the other prisoners were secure. Luna and Hermione didn't want to see anymore Death Eaters that day so Harry went down with only Kex and Flint for company.

In nine cells were the remaining Death Eaters. None of them had their masks on and Harry noted that he didn't recognize any of them. But he didn't need to know the name of the man he was looking for.

He stopped in front of the last cell and glared at the man who was sitting in the corner with a terrified expression in his blank eyes. As an extra precaution, Flint had the guard elves use their magic to temporarily blind the prisoners. Now, sitting inside of the cages were a bunch of blind, scared men instead of the ruthless killers that they were.

"We take care of you tomorrow," Harry told the Death Eater in a dangerous voice. "Enjoy your last night as a wizard."

The Death Eater whimpered. He along with the other Death Eaters had heard the power-ripping ritual that their fellow Death Eaters went through, and now the terror that filled his stomach was enough to almost make him pass out.

"Please don't," he begged. "I'll tell you anything. Just please don't take my magic away!"

"You will not be able to hurt anyone again," Harry said fiercely. "You will not hurt Hermione ever again."

The Death Eater whimpered again and pressed himself against the wall.

"Not so brave when you're the one being cursed are you?" Harry spat in disgust.

Without sparing the captured Death Eaters a second glance, Harry, Kex and Flint left the dungeon. Once they were outside Flint sealed the doors with elf magic and looked at Harry.

"Will you be returning tomorrow to take care of the rest Lord Potter-Black?" he asked.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yes I just don't know when. If possible Flint, could you drug that last Death Eater just enough to make his magic weaker? I don't want Hermione to have to interrogate him and unfortunately most likely the only way I'll be able to break through his Occlumency shields is if he's drugged."

"Of course my Lord," Flint said with a bow.

"Also," Harry said with a serious expression on his face. "I'm not saying this to offend you, but I want to get guards for the prison. I'm a friend of the goblins, and I'm sure that I will be able to get a squadron to help guard the prisoners. Also, having goblins add their own protections to the Manors as well as yours wouldn't be a bad idea. What do you think?"

Flint's eyes widened in surprise when Harry asked for his opinion. "I think goblin guards would be a great idea Lord Potter-Black. If it is acceptable, I could personally give a tour to a goblin representative and explain the magical layers on the Manor so that the goblin could decide the best course of action from there."

Harry smiled. "That's a great idea Flint. I'll bring a goblin with us tomorrow when we come back and you two can talk while the rest of us take care of some more prisoners."

Flint smiled and bowed. "I do believe that you will gain the respect of the Black elves after all my Lord. We will do as you ask and I look forward to meeting your goblin friends."

Harry's smile widened and he knelt down to shake Flint's hand. "Thank you Flint. You and the other Black elves. Thanks to the effort that you and the other elves put into this place, a lot of people will be able to sleep more soundly."

After saying goodbye to the other Black elves and praising them for a job well done, he went back to the foyer to meet with his friends. Hermione and Luna were sitting together on a couch with their familiars in their laps while Goldengaze was curled up on the floor.

As soon as Hermione saw Harry she put Ivy down on the couch and ran into his arms and began crying. Harry rubbed her back and whispered in her ear.

"I saw so many terrible things," she sobbed. "So much pain. Harry, I don't know if I can read his mind tomorrow…"

"It's alright Love," he whispered. "I asked Flint to mildly drug him so that I'll be able to do the interrogation. You won't have to go anywhere near his mind."

"Thank you," Hermione sniffed. She wiped her eyes and took in a shuddering breath. "Let's get out of here."

Harry nodded in agreement and turned to face the remainders of the group. "I don't really feel like going back to Hogwarts just yet. What do you guys think about moving into Potter Manor right now?"

Luna smiled with a hint of happiness. "That sounds great. I would love to have a little time to decorate mine and Neville's room before he gets there. He's a terrible decorator."

Hermione giggled and picked up Ivy. "So we'll meet at the trunk and finish packing. Goldengaze," she added turning to the griffin. "Would you like to join us?"

Goldengaze looked at her warmly but shook his feathered head. "I'm afraid that my presence is needed at Hogwarts. Even though I've been gone for barely an hour, Dumbledore is sure to be looking for me. I'll return to work and I'll distract his attention away from you."

They thanked the griffin before they all activated their portkeys with the trunk clear in their minds. Once Harry, Hermione and Luna were on solid ground along with their familiars, Harry called for four Potter elves. He politely asked them to move the packed belongings to their rooms at Potter Manor and informed them that they would be there as soon as they finished magically packing up the Potter Library that was located in the trunk.

The magic in the library went deeper than even Hermione went possible. To store the books all they had to do was write 'store' in the directory and the books began swarming before shrinking and storing themselves in multiple bags. Fay noticed with her sharp eyes that each bag had a different book topic. Once all of the shelves were clear, the directory closed and the pedestal that it was on merged with the book. Hermione immediately stepped forward and picked up the precious directory before she gaped at all of the bags that were scattered throughout the library. Without the books on the shelves, the room seemed remarkably empty.

Once the library was done storing itself, a Potter elf, Nova, collected the bags and directory and apparated back to Potter Manor to return the books to where they belonged. With the library done, Harry, Hermione and Luna went to check to make sure that nothing was left behind.

After they were done with their last sweep, they met with Dobby in the training room who was storing their weapons and training equipment.

"Can we help with anything Dobby?" Hermione asked kindly.

Dobby smiled and shook his head. "Thank you Miss Grangey, but I have it under control. Winky has already emptied the kitchen of all food items and put spells to prevent dust and rust."

Harry nodded in approval. "Thank you Dobby. We're going to head to Potter Manor now, so I guess we'll see you there. Don't work too hard Dobby," he added with a wink.

"Me? Work hard? Never," Dobby said with a large grin.

Harry laughed and they all activated their portkeys to head to Potter Manor. They were bombarded with elves as soon as they were steady. The elves were cheering about having a Potter Lord living in Potter Manor once more. Hermione gently nudged Harry and pointed towards the hallway.

"Looks like Winky has an admirer," she whispered.

Surely enough, Dolon and Winky were having a very enthusiastic conversation. Dolan seemed very interested in Winky and Harry noticed that Winky had a slight blush on her cheeks.

_I hope that Dobby doesn't hesitate for much longer_, Harry thought, knowing Dobby's infatuation with the other head elf. _I'd hate to see him get hurt_.

Stone walked up to them and led them towards their rooms. Harry's and Hermione's room was done with a mixture of red, gold, and silver and green as tribute to the houses of which they were heirs to. There was a huge four poster bed against the wall with a window on the opposite wall with a beautiful view of the mountains. Harry opened one door to find that the privy was incredibly large while Hermione opened the wardrobe to find that it was magicked as a walk-in closet that was almost as long as one of the tables in the Great Hall.

They went to Luna and Neville's room and found that it was an exact copy of theirs except for the coloring. Once they were done exploring the main rooms, Stone led them to another room.

"I had some of your elves make up another room my Lord for your familiars," Stone told Harry. "I believe that they will enjoy it."

Harry opened the door and gasped in astonishment.

If he hadn't known better, he would've sworn that he was standing in the middle of a forest. In one corner was a large cluster of rocks with a large hole underneath them, a perfect size for a wolf den. On the other side of the room were a cluster of smaller rocks that had enough room for a fox den. In the center of the room was a large tree that had a hollowed hole in the middle and a large nest in the branches. In the far corner next to the window was a small pond that was big enough for even Sage to swim in. The entire floor was covered with grass and Harry could even smell the forest and feel a breeze blow through his hair.

Immediately, Kex, Ivy and Fay swarmed into the room with excitement evident. Ivy immediately ran to the smaller rock cluster and dove into the gap while Kex climbed into the hole and Fay flew up to the nest.

"_This is wonderful_," Kex yipped excitedly while he poked his head out of the hole. "_It's like we're real animals_!"

"You **are** animals," Luna remarked with amusement.

Fay jumped from branch to branch and was pleased to find that they took her weight. "_We're not technically 'real' animals. We're more magical than our species. But I agree with Kex, it is nice to have a bit of stimulation for our animal side_."

Harry, Hermione and Luna left their familiars to get comfortable in their new dens. Hermione unpacked all of her stuff in half of the closet with an elegant flick of her wand and was quickly off to the library to see how the elves were organizing the books.

"The directory gets all of the books for you Love," Harry laughed before she was gone.

A small spark filled Hermione's eyes. "But I love the experience of searching for a book."

After sharing a quick kiss, Hermione left Harry alone in their new room. Harry was unpacking his stuff the muggle way, it helped him to think. He was almost done when there was a soft knock on the door. Turning around, Harry saw that Stone was standing in the doorway.

"Pardon the intrusion my Lord," Stone said with a bow. "But I thought that you would like a welcome home present so to speak."

Harry dropped the shirt that he was holding when Stone carried in something that was easily twice as high as he was. The portrait was still relatively new and there were two achingly familiar people sleeping within the frame.

"Mum? Dad?"

* * *

**A/N- I _had _to include a portrait of Harry's parents. Vox Semotus is Latin, I got it from a Latin translation site and it roughly means 'power taken' or something along those lines. Oh and as a way to apologize for my inability to update during the summer (most likely) there will be another animagus form revealed within the next few chapters. Review! -Phoenix**


	24. Portraits and Magical Guardians

**A/N- People have informed me that my Latin was wrong, but seeing as I never took Latin I'm not too broken up about it. Also, the reason why I might not be able to update during the summer is because I won't be around my laptop or internet in general. I'm going to be at camp all summer and the few days that I am home I don't know if I'll be able to write quick enough to update. There might be an update during summer, but I'm not gonna guarantee anything. Please review! –Phoenix**

* * *

Harry gaped at the portrait of his parents that Stone was holding in the doorway. His parents were asleep, but they were there. In a sense at least.

Stone carried the portrait in and leaned it against the bed. "I thought that Lord Potter-Black would like some time to talk with his parents' portrait. They will awaken under your touch. Where would you like me to hang the portrait when you're done talking with them?"

"Um," Harry stuttered. "The library please. My parents have a portrait?"

"Yes my Lord," Stone said with a bow. "I'll leave you alone with your parents' portrait."

The head Potter elf left the room and closed the door behind him. Harry stared at the portrait for a few moments, almost afraid to awaken his parents. With a slightly shaking hand, Harry touched the portrait.

Immediately, the two people in the portrait grunted and shook themselves awake. The woman, who Harry recognized as Lily, rubbed her eyes and scanned the room. When her eyes rested on Harry, tears immediately filled her eyes and she shook her husband vigorously.

"James, James wake up!" she whispered fiercely. "It's Harry!"

James shook off the remaining weariness and gaped at Harry. "Bloody hell…Harry…you've grown…"

Harry looked at the ground, feeling a little embarrassed and shy. "Hi Mum, hi Dad."

"My baby," Lily sniffed. "You're so handsome. How old are you now?"

"Well," Harry hesitated. "I'm sixteen to the rest of the world, but I'm technically somewhere around nineteen."

Lily stopped sniffing and looked at Harry with an understanding look on her face. "You used my trunk didn't you?"

A nervous chuckle came from Harry's mouth while James grinned at his son. "I did use your trunk Mum," Harry muttered. "I've trained for over three years in it along with my friends who didn't train as long as I did."

"And why did you feel the need to train for over three years?" Lily asked sternly.

Harry met his 'parents'' eyes squarely. "Voldemort is back and Dumbledore has been manipulating me my whole life. I've been training for the final battle and I've also been preparing to go public with my titles."

"Wait a minute," James interrupted. "I know that you're entitled to the Potter title, but what's the other?"

"The Black title," Harry said softly.

Shock filled James' face. "Sirius is dead? What's happened since I'm assuming that we're dead."

Harry pulled up a chair and sat down heavily. "It's a long story."

Lily and James sat down. "Better start from the beginning then," Lily said softly.

For the next hour Harry talked with his parents' portrait. They were shocked to hear that it was Peter who betrayed them and were furious to hear about what Dumbledore had done. The marriage contract that Dumbledore had made was what pushed Lily over the edge.

"That bloody…manipulating…fool," she gasped in her fury. "How **dare** he make a marriage contract for you? He was not even to be your magical guardian! And you were **never** to go to Petunia. If anything happened to us you were to go to the Longbottoms or the Tonks! I could kill that arse for meddling with my baby's life!"

"Calm down Love," James said soothingly while he draped an arm around her shoulders. "Imagine the shock that Dumbledore will get when Harry goes public. When are you planning on doing that son?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't have any real plans. I guess I'll go public when the time calls for it. What I'm looking forward to is opening declaring my engagement to Hermione."

Lily looked at her son lovingly. "When do we get to meet Hermione?"

A true smile brightened Harry's face at the mere mention of his fiancé's name. "I could go get her right now if you would like. She's probably still in the library."

"So you got yourself a smart one too huh son?" James laughed. "We Potters always did like smart women."

"She's brilliant," Harry said proudly. "I'll have Stone hang your portrait in the library and you can meet Hermione. You can also meet our true familiars."

Lily clapped her hands together in joy. "I'm so happy that you got the familiar eggs. It took me every Potter connection and a whole year to track those down, and I'm not even going to mention the spell work."

"You'll love Kex, Mum," Harry promised. "But you won't be able to understand what he's saying though."

Harry summoned Stone and asked him to hang his parents' portrait in the library. Once the portrait was taken care of, he went to the familiars' room and poked his head in.

Amusement sparkled in Harry's eyes when he saw Kex, Ivy and Sage swimming in their small pool while Fay stood on the sides trying to stay dry. Once Kex saw Harry he climbed out of the pool and gave himself a shake before running over to Harry.

"_This room is great_," Kex said happily. "_The pool is spelled so that it never gets dirty so not even Sage can pollute the water with his fur_."

"Sounds great mate," Harry laughed. "Hey, my parents left a portrait that Stone is hanging in the library. My mum wants to meet you."

Kex immediately climbed up Harry's pants-leg and settled on his favorite spot. "_Let's go then_."

Together, they headed towards the library. As soon as they were in the library, they heard Hermione's voice echoing through the tall bookshelves.

"We've only been engaged for a short amount of time," she said. "I'm so excited about being his wife, but I'm afraid that I don't know when we'll be wed with the upcoming war."

Harry smiled sadly and walked towards his beloved. He found her sitting in a comfortable armchair in front of a fireplace, talking to his parents' portrait which was hanging above the mantel.

"We'll marry Love," Harry promised when he sat down next to her.

Hermione looked at him in shock before blushing slightly in embarrassment. "I know that we will Harry," she sighed. "But I just worry that with everything…"

Harry kissed her full on the lips. "We can start planning right now if you'd like."

Hermione smiled but shook her head. "There are more important things right now, but I'm sure that Luna and I will be able to plan in our spare time. Anyway, I was talking to your parents."

An amused cough above the mantle reminded Harry about their audience. Harry looked up and smiled at his parents.

"Well Mum, Dad, I see that you've met Hermione, the love of my life and the future Mrs. Potter."

James nodded happily. "She's a catch son. You've got excellent taste in women. It's in the Potter gene."

Lily elbowed her husband lightly in the ribs with a smirk on her face. "So Hermione, did you get one of the familiar eggs as well?"

"Yes," Hermione answered. "Ivy, she's a fennec fox. I'd imagine that she's still getting accustomed to her new room."

"A fennec fox, that's interesting," Lily said thoughtfully. "And you seem to have a pine marten Harry."

Harry nodded and gestured to Kex. "This little troublemaker is Kex."

"_Nice to meet you_," Kex said respectfully with a bowed head.

After Harry translated for his familiar, Harry leaned back in his chair and took Hermione's hand in his own. "I guess now's the time to tell you what we've been doing for the war. But I don't know if you'll like it."

His parents shared an anxious glance before turning back to their son. "If it helps you to survive Harry," his mother said softly. "Then we're okay with anything."

"I hope so," Harry whispered. "Because we're not totally okay with it ourselves."

* * *

The next day they were back at Black Manor, preparing to deal with the rest of their prisoners. Harry had gone to Gringotts and Ragnok sent over one of his inspectors, a quiet goblin named Teg, to go over the Manor's protections. After Flint went to give Teg a tour, Hermione made quick work of interrogating the other prisoners with the exception of her attacker.

Hermione made the irritated conclusion that all of the Death Eaters that they had caught weren't important enough to actually know what they were doing. She ranted about how they were all so stupid that they didn't even know who to kill unless their wand was being pointed for them.

"How can a person kill another without even knowing the full reason why?" Hermione asked them through furious tears which she didn't even bother to wipe away.

Harry quickly pulled her into an embrace and gently stroked her hair. "They don't deserve your tears," he whispered to her. "They aren't worth the energy."

Hermione nodded but she didn't stop crying. "Just go take care of **him** Harry. Please."

"I will Love," Harry promised. "And we'll take his power first so that he's gone that much sooner."

Hermione smiled gratefully and stepped aside so that Harry could get in the room.

After taking in a shaky breath, Harry put his hand on the door handle and opened the door.

Chained to the chair was the pitiful Death Eater who had nearly taken Hermione's life. The man was staring at Harry with wide, fear filled eyes that clearly saw who was standing in front of him.

"Please don't take my magic away," he pleaded again. "I'll tell you everything!"

Harry immediately noticed that the man's words were slightly slurred and his eyes were slightly out of focus. With grin satisfaction, Harry sat in front of him and pointed his wand at the man's head.

"You'll tell me regardless. Legilimens."

It took Harry a couple tries, but eventually he managed to break through the drugged man's Occlumency shields. He sorted through the man's memories and quickly discovered that the man didn't know anything either, but Harry wasn't interested in what he knew about Voldemort. Harry was digging for a certain memory so that he would have the names of the Death Eaters who had caused his beloved so much pain.

_The Death Eater stood in front of Voldemort, looking eager for his assignment. Voldemort looked at him with a sadistic grin on his face._

"_You lot will be taking care of a particular mudblood. She's Potter's main source of information and without her he will be easy to defeat. Do what you'd like with her, so long as you kill her and her whole filthy muggle family." Voldemort looked to the side and nodded to a man who entered the room. The Death Eater scowled when he recognized the man with the long, blonde hair. "Lucius," Voldemort continued, "You shall lead this mission."_

_Lucius' grin was as cold and bloodthirsty as Voldemort's. "It would be my pleasure my Lord."_

Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously at the Malfoy Lord's cold expression. _Now I know who to get next_, Harry thought grimly.

After taking a moment to prepare himself, Harry sorted through the Death Eater's memories once more until he found himself staring at an achingly familiar house.

_The Death Eater group apparated right outside of the house. They all had their wands drawn and eager grins on their faces. Lucius stepped up to the door and opened it quickly._

_Together, the Death Eaters entered the house throwing curses wherever they wanted. Hermione's parents, who were sitting on their couch, leapt up in alarm. Two of the Death Eaters went after them while the other two, including himself, ran after the Hermione who had started coming down the stairs._

"Run Hermione," Harry whispered as if it would change the inevitable outcome.

_Hermione let out a scream and fumbled for her wand, but the other Death Eater shot a curse at her, forcing her to run up the stairs._

"_Mum, Dad run!" she screamed as she ran upstairs._

_Her plea was met with the agonized cry of her father. Tears dropped from her eyes as she continued to run away while her father was tortured._

_The Death Eater and his companion slowly followed Hermione to her room, enjoying the fear that she was feeling. Once they got to her room, his companion blasted open the door. The Death Eater frowned when he saw a white owl flying away from the window with a note in its talons, but thought nothing of it._

"_Well, well, well little mudblood," he sneered. "It's time for us to have some fun."_

_Hermione started saying a spell, but his companion was quicker and shot a disarming spell at her, causing her wand to fall to the floor behind them._

"_Well that's not nice," his companion laughed. _

"_Maybe we should have a little __**extra**__ fun with her," the Death Eater said while he stepped forward and twirled Hermione's wavy curls with his finger while the she flinched and tried to step away from him._

"Get your filthy hands off of her!" Harry shouted in rage. He wanted nothing more than to punch the Death Eater to within an inch of his life, but Harry was just a spectator and had no physical form.

"_Don't touch me," Hermione whispered defiantly._

_Anger replaced the grin on the Death Eater's face. "Think you're actually worth something you mudblood?" he sneered._

_With all his strength, the Death Eater punched Hermione in the stomach, forcing her to double over and fight for breath. While she was winded, he effortlessly threw her over his side into the wall, causing her to cry out in pain. The Death Eater laughed at her pain while his companion used the cruciatus curse on her, forcing her to scream in agony._

_His attention was grabbed by a red flash on Hermione's bed. He looked over and saw that there was a large egg that was faintly flashing red._

"_What the hell is this?" he asked out loud while he picked the egg up and recklessly tossed it in the air._

"_No…don't…touch," Hermione gasped while she fought for breath._

_A sadistic grin reappeared on his face. "Is this important to you mudblood?" He enjoyed the look of horror and dismay on her face while he threw the egg to the floor with all his might. The look of anguish on Hermione's face was so delicious that he didn't even bother to see if the egg was broken._

_His companion cast the cruciatus on her again with a bored expression on his face. "If you're going to have fun with her, then have it not. I don't feel like wasting my magic on something as filthy as she is."_

_The Death Eater looked at the trembling girl in front of him for a moment before he shook his head. "Nah, she's too filthy for that. But, I think a prolonged demise would be appropriate for this mudblood."_

_A gleam of silver was caught in the room while he pulled out a silver dagger from his robes. Hermione's eyes widened in fear and she tried to inch away from the blade._

"_I hope that Potter finds your body mudblood," he said while he knelt down and roughly touched her face. _

_His companion looked at the blade doubtfully. "What if they find her and take her to St. Mungos?"_

_The Death Eater scoffed scornfully at his companion. "We have ways to take care of her there too. But they shouldn't find her in time since Lucius isn't sending up the Dark Mark. I personally hope that by the time they find her she's covered with maggots."_

_His companion shrugged. "Then do it."_

_The dagger gleamed again, as if eager to draw blood. With great strength, the knife was driven right into Hermione's side._

"No! Hermione!" Harry cried in agony.

He didn't even realize that he had lost his hold on the Death Eater's memory. He punched the pitiful man in front of him with all of his strength, sending the man who was still chained to his chair to the floor.

Harry continued to mercilessly punch the Death Eater until he felt that his fists wouldn't do enough damage. He stepped back and pointed his wand at the crying figure in front of him. "Cru…"

"No Harry!" Hermione's voice came from behind him as the door flew open.

Before Harry could finish the curse, Hermione threw her arms around his waist and sobbed into his back. "Don't do it," she pleaded. "Don't become like him"

It took Harry a couple of seconds before the rage completely left him. His wand fell to the floor as he whirled around and pulled Hermione into a tight hug. Without shame, he sobbed into her shoulder while she sobbed into his chest.

"I'm so sorry Hermione, I'm so sorry," he sobbed over and over.

While Harry and Hermione left the room to simply cry in each other's company, Neville and Luna had the elves take the still whimpering Death Eater to the room where they would strip his powers.

Harry and Hermione sat in one of the Black rooms crying until they calmed down. It wasn't until a half hour later when one of them spoke.

"Love," Harry whispered hoarsely. "How did you know that I was about to use an Unforgivable on him?"

Hermione sniffed and looked at Harry. "I don't need to be an empath to know when you're in so much pain."

More tears fell from his eyes as he buried his face in her hair. "I-I just wanted to know who else was there. It was Lucius who led the mission."

The breath got caught in Hermione's throat and Harry felt fear so powerful that that it was difficult for him to breathe.

"We'll stop them," he promised. "We'll stop them from hurting anyone ever again."

After another fifteen minutes, Harry guided a trembling Hermione to the room where her attacker was for the power stripping ritual. They both let out a breath of relief when they saw that the man was stunned and Luna had already drawn the runes on his back. Neville and Luna looked at them in concern while Kex and Ivy nuzzled against their respective partners' legs in an attempt to comfort them.

"Let's get this over with," Hermione said dryly.

Without even bothering to wake the man up, they stripped him of all his powers and Hermione destroyed the memory with so much force that it was quite possible that other memories were destroyed as well. But she didn't care. It was the first time since her parents and Crookshanks were killed that she felt like some justice had been served.

* * *

The rest of the term went by quickly and before any of them realized it was almost Christmas. Nothing of great importance had occurred after the Hogsmeade attack. Black Manor was still a prison that would have the occasional prisoner that the goblins caught and they were held there until the four Heirs had the time to strip their powers.

Luna had found the fairy colony the week after the Hogsmeade attack and was still earning their trust. While fairies were bright and mischievous creatures, they were still mistrustful. The colony queen, Shimmer, found Luna interesting and made a deal with Luna that if she could gain her whole colony's trust by summer then she would train Luna personally. So far most of the colony approved of Luna, but Shimmer would only accept Luna if the whole colony accepted her.

Neville's training with the centaurs mostly involved weapons training. While Neville was fair with his sword, by centaur standards he was terrible. Chief worked on Neville's sword technique and had the herd's healer teach Neville how to use the herbs of the land to heal and how to use magic to strengthen their natural powers. Thanks to Neville's Forest Speech ability he knew where all the herbs were and he understood what they needed so that he could strengthen them without the aid of magic. Predicting the future by gazing at the planets was part of his training as well, but so far he was pretty lousy at it.

So far there hadn't been any real moves done by either Voldemort or Dumbledore. Occasionally at dinner Dumbledore would look at them with a calculating look on his face, but what unnerved Harry was the way he would look at Hermione, like he was a predator waiting for the best moment to strike.

One night a couple weeks before the term ended, Harry sat with his friends at the Gryffindor table for dinner. He was discussing Professor Griffin's latest DADA class with Neville when one particular emotion stuck out among the sea of other emotions that he usually drowned out.

"What's wrong Harry?" Neville asked when he saw the change in Harry's expression.

Harry shook his head in confusion. "I don't know," he whispered. "But it's not good."

The next day Hermione and Ivy walked the halls towards Hermione's Ancient Runes class. Hermione was discussing her runes translation with Ivy when she was stopped.

"Miss Granger," Snape's cool voice came from behind her.

Suppressing a cringe at Snape's poor tone, Hermione and Ivy turned around looking pleasantly at the greasy potions professor. "Can I help you Professor Snape?" she asked politely.

"Come with me," was the cool reply.

Hermione and Ivy were immediately on their guard. "But I have class Professor."

Snape sneered at her with so much contempt that Hermione had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from snapping at him. "Professor Dumbledore needs to see you."

Fear quickly replaced her irritation. Before she could think of an excuse to keep away from the headmaster, Snape started walking towards Dumbledore's office with a simple, "Come."

Knowing that there was no way to avoid meeting with Dumbledore, Hermione started putting her energy into her mind magic so that if Dumbledore tried to use the imperius on her again it wouldn't take as long to fight it off.

They arrived at the entrance to Dumbledore's office before Hermione even realized it. Snape gave the password and stayed outside while Hermione and Ivy nervously climbed the stairs.

"_Are your shields secure_?" Ivy asked once they were standing outside the door.

"I hope so," Hermione whispered back. She took in a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in Miss Granger," Dumbledore's condescending voice responded.

Hermione opened the door and walked in with Ivy right beside her. She sat down in one of the chairs that stood in front of the headmaster's desk and picked Ivy up and put her on her lap. "You wanted to see me Headmaster?" she asked quietly.

Immediately, Hermione felt Dumbledore test her Occlumency shields. Satisfaction replaced some of her nerves when she saw Dumbledore's eyes widen in surprise for a brief moment.

"I did want to speak with you Miss Granger," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. "It has come to my attention that you have been an orphan since summer."

Hermione gasped and Ivy barked in alarm. "H-how?" she stuttered.

Dumbledore smiled and waved his wand faster than Hermione could even follow. "I have known for quite some time Miss Granger. It hurts me that you didn't come to me straight away. But you do not need to worry, as your magical guardian I have secured a place for you to stay. You will be going there until I have arranged for you to continue your education at Hogwarts. But, seeing as this has to go through the Ministry, it might take a while."

"_Let's get out of here Hermione_!" Ivy cried.

When Hermione tried to move her legs she found that they were weighed down by magic, the same thing with her arms. "What did you do to me?" she demanded.

"I have done nothing Miss Granger, it must be your grief for your parents that prevents you from moving," Dumbledore said with a shrug. He stood up and walked around the desk to face Hermione. "Do not fear Miss Granger, I am a kind guardian. You will be well cared for."

Ivy snarled and leapt at Dumbledore, but he simply waved his hand and sent Ivy crashing into a bookshelf.

"Ivy!" Hermione cried out in worry.

Before Ivy could regain her balance, Dumbledore created a cage with a wave of his wand and sent Ivy in it with another wave. Once the door shut the cage glowed as it locked. Ivy snarled profanities at Dumbledore and tried to apparate out, but found that the cage was blocking her magic.

"Now Miss Granger, a gift," Dumbledore continued as he ignored the fox barking.

He pulled out a simple silver necklace and placed it around Hermione's neck. As soon as it touched her skin, Hermione felt her connection to her own magical core and to Ivy become blocked. She even tried to tap into her limited knowledge of elf magic and found to her dismay that it was blocked too.

"That's a power suppressor," Dumbledore explained smugly. "I can't have you going off to avenge your parents now can I?"

_He's saying this to make it seem like him kidnapping me is the right thing to do_, Hermione thought furiously.

Just before Dumbledore called for an elf to come take her and Ivy away, Hermione focused on Harry and pushed all of her fear towards him in hope that he would sense it out of all the other emotions in the castle.

_Harry!_

* * *

When Hermione woke up she found herself on a bed underneath a pile of warm blankets. She sat up and shook the fog from her head. A small, pitiful whine from beside her bed helped to clear the remaining fog.

"Ivy," Hermione gasped while she struggled out of bed and let Ivy out of the cage. "Are you alright? What happened? When did I black out?"

Ivy limped out of the cage with her left leg tucked under her body. "_The house elf that Dumbledore summoned used elf magic to stun you. He went out of his way to make sure that no harmful magic could be connected directly to him. The elf took us here and told me that you would wake up eventually. It's been a couple hours_."

Hermione gently picked Ivy up and sat on the bed. "Your leg…do you think it's broken?"

"_Probably_," Ivy sighed. "_Dumbledore keeps a lot of hard books in his office. Can you apparate us out of here_?"

Hermione tried, but found much to her irritation that the power suppressor was still on her and that she couldn't take it off. "This thing suppresses my connection to magic. I can't apparate and I don't think I can do any magic."

Ivy curled up in Hermione's waist and sighed painfully. "_That explains why Dumbledore didn't take your wand I guess_."

Hermione gently put Ivy down on the bed. "I'm going to see where we are."

When Ivy nodded wearily, Hermione left her to explore their surroundings. They were being kept in a small shack. The whole building was at the most twenty feet long and twenty feet wide. There was a small bathroom on the side and a small fridge that Hermione found was full of food. Hermione went to the front door and opened it. She took two steps outside when she was stopped by a harsh gust of freezing cold wind, and the sight of a ledge that was ten feet in front of her. Hermione carefully stepped up to the ledge and gasped in fear when she realized that hers and Ivy's new lodgings were located on the top of a rather tall mountain.

"Oh bugger."

* * *

**A/N- I know that this chapter was a little darker than my usual chapter, but seeing as Dumbledore technically had Harry kidnapped as a baby, I could picture him pretty much kidnapping Hermione as well. Next chapter you'll see Harry's reaction to Hermione's kidnapping and most likely the next animagus form. I'll try my hardest to get it out in a couple weeks! Review! -Phoenix**


	25. Beauty

**A/N- I can be so mean to Hermione, but seeing as she is Harry's strength in my story Voldemort and Dumbledore will go through great lengths to keep her away from Harry. Please review! –Phoenix**

* * *

Harry ran through the halls of Hogwarts with Kex struggling to hang on and Neville and Luna along with their familiars right behind him. He ran as fast as his legs would take him towards Dumbledore's office which was the last place he had sensed his fiancé's fear.

"Harry slow down," Luna said for the third time. "We need to discuss this."

"Discuss what?" Harry snapped at her. "Dumbledore did something to Hermione! She was so scared!"

Neville grabbed Harry's shoulder and used his superior weight and muscle to force Harry to stop. "Don't take this out on Luna," he said gravely. "We can't go rushing into this, if you burst into Dumbledore's office to save Hermione he'll want to know how you knew she was in trouble."

"What should I do then?" Harry demanded. "Just sit back and wait?"

"Yes," Neville said firmly. "Wait and plan. If you plunge right into this then everything could be put in jeopardy and Hermione wouldn't want that. I doubt that Dumbledore would cause Hermione any physical pain."

Hot tears filled Harry's eyes and threatened to fall. "I need to know if she's okay."

Luna looked at Harry sadly. "We all do Harry. But this is Hermione we're talking about, she's a survivor."

That night at dinner Hermione still hadn't shown up. Harry kept his eyes glued to the entrance to the Great Hall hoping that the next person to walk through the door would be Hermione.

After waiting for fifteen minutes Harry couldn't take the waiting anymore. He got up from the table with Neville and Luna right behind him. They stomped up to Dumbledore who was looking at them with an amused expression on his face.

"Sir," Neville said with cool politeness, knowing that Harry would only shout. "We were wondering if you knew where Hermione was."

The amused look on Dumbledore's face was replaced by false sadness. "I'm afraid that I cannot talk about this here. Let's go to my office and discuss it."

"No," Luna said firmly. "Let's talk here."

"Miss Lovegood," McGonagall said angrily. "That is no way to talk to your headmaster."

"It is quite alright Minerva," Dumbledore assured her. Turning back to the young students in front of him he sighed. "I am afraid that Miss Granger's parents were killed some time during the summer. As her magical guardian it became my responsibility to take care of her lodgings. Until everything is taken care of so that she can return to Hogwarts I have placed her in one of my houses."

Harry went pale and would have cursed Dumbledore right there if Kex hadn't dug his claws into his shoulder.

"How could you take her away from Hogwarts without letting her say goodbye?" Luna demanded. Her storm-cloud eyes were bright with tears but she refused to let them fall in front of Dumbledore.

Even McGonagall looked surprised at Dumbledore's actions. "Albus, was it really necessary to remove Miss Granger from all of her friends? A girl who has recently been orphaned needs to be surrounded by loved ones."

Dumbledore shot McGonagall a look of annoyance. "As her magical guardian it was my call Minerva. Harry, I must ask you to refrain from owling Miss Granger. You wouldn't want to lead anyone right to her. Rest assured she is perfectly safe."

Harry's emerald eyes narrowed dangerously and had to be pulled back from the table by Neville and Luna. He wasn't even aware that he wasn't in Dumbledore's presence anymore until he was pushed down into a chair in the dining room at Potter Manor. He looked around and saw that they had been joined by Goldengaze, Dobby and Winky, all of whom looked just as worried as Harry felt.

"Can you sense her?" Luna asked Dobby and Winky.

The two elves closed their eyes and focused for a moment before they shook their heads despairingly. "Miss Grangey is being blocked," Winky said brokenly while tears slowly fell from her large eyes. "I know that she is unharmed, but I can't tell where she is."

"But she's alright?" Harry asked desperately. "Dumbledore didn't hurt her?"

Winky smiled sadly. "She is not hurt physically Master Harry, but I'm afraid that Dobby and I don't know anything else."

That night they all sat around the table in silence while they prayed that Hermione would find some way to get back to them.

* * *

Hermione paced in the tiny shack irritably while she cursed repeatedly. "I can't bloody believe this, even my portkey isn't working. And here I thought that nothing could stop an Ancient House's portkey."

Ivy was still curled up on the bed and had her injured leg sprawled out in front of her. "_Dumbledore is incredibly powerful, but I can't help but think that he must be paranoid if he even deactivated our portkeys. My guess is that they can only be reactivated by Harry now_."

Hermione sighed and sat down next to Ivy. "I hope that Harry isn't doing anything reckless."

Ivy laughed hoarsely. "_He probably will_."

They sat on the bed huddled under the blankets for warmth. Hermione dozed off until she heard a loud 'pop', forcing her to wake up. She looked around the little shack and glared at the cowering figure in front of her.

"Who are you?" Hermione demanded.

The house elf bowed shakily and when she rose Hermione noticed that she was crying. "My name is being Brook, Miss. I was the one ordered to stun you and bring you here."

Never before had Hermione been so angry with an elf even though she knew that the elf had no choice. "Where exactly is 'here'?"

Brook continued to cry and hastily wiped her eyes on her apron. "Master Dumbledore had me take you to his secure cabin on a mountain in Greenland."

"Greenland?" Hermione gasped. "I'm in bloody Greenland?!"

Brook shook her head and started sobbing. "I is so sorry Miss! We elves know that you are the elves' champion and I imprisoned you! I is so sorry Miss!" Brook fell to her knees and cried even harder, softening the cold look on Hermione's face.

Hermione knelt down in front of Brook and gently took the sobbing elf's hands in her own. "Please stop crying Brook; it's not your fault. Dumbledore ordered you to take us here and you had to obey."

"Miss is too kind!" Brook sobbed. "I is wanting nothing more than to help you get away, but I is forbidden! Master Dumbledore is forcing me to imprison the elves' champion!"

"What do you mean by 'elves' champion'?" Hermione asked curiously.

Brook took in a couple deep breaths to calm herself. "Even us lowly house elves know of the Spiritual Heirs. For as long as house elves can remember, we have known that one day house elves would be treated better. House elves love serving families Miss, but we is still wanting to be treated with little more dignity. Brook knows how Dobby was being abused, and this happens to many good elves. You is our champion because you will make sure that house elves will be safe and no longer invisible."

Hermione gaped at Brook in shock. She had become more open about house elves and their joy in serving families, but she still hadn't realized that they felt invisible, like they could die and nobody would even notice or care. "How did you know about me?"

"You is able to use elf magic," Brook explained. "We house elves didn't tell Master Dumbledore, but Master Dumbledore blocked house elf magic so that Mister Harry Potter couldn't send Dobby to get you."

Hermione ran her fingers around the power suppressor around her neck. "Can you take it off Brook?"

Brook shook her head despairingly. "Brook is forbidden. Brook can only tend to you as needed."

Hermione sighed. "Well don't go against your orders, I don't want you to have to punish yourself. Can you heal Ivy's leg?"

The house elf looked at Ivy with a doubtful look on her face. "I is not a very good healer, but I can heal some."

She walked up to Ivy and gently took the fox's leg in her hand. Ivy barked in pain and Hermione flinched when she heard something snap, but relief soon replaced the look of pain on Ivy's face. Brook worked on Ivy's leg for a few more minutes and when she was done Ivy was sleeping soundly and her leg was bandaged up.

Brook looked at Hermione with a wary look on her face. "Brook put the bones back in place and healed most of it. But Miss Ivy's leg is still broken, but not as bad. Leg should heal in a couple weeks if it's not disturbed."

Hermione smiled gratefully and smoothed Ivy's ruffled fur. "Thank you Brook, and don't worry about keeping us here. I'll get out of here and I'll still fight for your rights."

More tears leaked out of Brook's eyes before determination shined through the tears. "Brook is forbidden to help you escape, but Brook is not breaking orders by explaining something."

"What's that?" Hermione asked.

Brook pointed at the power suppressor around Hermione's neck. "Master Dumbledore's power suppressor blocks Miss' connection to elf magic, familiar bond as well as her magic. But, power suppressor does not block one thing that Brook can sense you can do."

Hermione's eyes widened. "And what's that?"

Brook smiled slyly and pointed outside towards the mountains. "Do not tell Brook anything because then I is having to report to Master Dumbledore since there are no eavesdropping spells on this shack. But, if only Miss could fly. Wards prevent apparition and portkeys are disabled immediately upon entry, but no wards prevent flying."

Hermione paled. "S-so the only way to get out of here is to fly."

"Or climb down," Brook said with a shrug. "If only Miss could fly back to England, but I is knowing that even Miss is incapable of growing wings."

Hermione smiled shakily. "If only though. Thank you for everything Brook."

Brook smiled brightly and bowed. "For what Miss?" she said and apparated away.

Hermione groaned and sat down heavily next to Ivy who was still fast asleep. "I bloody hate flying."

* * *

Harry sat on his and Hermione's bed in Potter Manor with his head in his hands. It had been hours since Hermione had been taken and there hadn't been any word from her and they hadn't found anything in the library that could help them. Kex was curled up in a ball next to Harry as he found himself almost paralyzed by the grief and anguish that Harry was feeling.

They sat in silence until there was a light knock on the door. Before Harry could yell at whoever it was to go away the door opened and Luna stuck her head in.

"Are you done sulking yet?" she asked him. "Because Neville and I could really use your help looking up answers in the library."

"Why hasn't she just used her portkey?" Harry asked desperately.

Luna sighed heavily. "Dumbledore is extremely powerful Harry, so powerful that he could deactivate a portkey if he wanted to without even breaking a sweat. We need to trust that Hermione will find a way out of wherever she is, but that doesn't mean that we can't help her."

Harry looked at Luna brokenly. "He took her away to keep her from me. It's my…"

"Shut it with the self-pity party Harry," Luna snapped impatiently. "She's my best friend and I'm worried too, but I'm not wallowing, I'm trying to find a solution. Maybe you should do the same."

Harry stared at Luna in shock for a second before he smiled sadly. "You're right as always Luna. Do you think the goblins could help?"

Luna frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "I don't know. But Harry, if you involve the goblins then you'll have to go public, but then again maybe that isn't terrible either. If you go public when we get Hermione back and openly declare her your ward and fiancé then Dumbledore won't be able to touch her again."

"Why didn't I just do that sooner?" Harry sighed.

"Because we wanted to keep a low profile," Luna answered firmly. "Plus we never dreamed that Dumbledore would go and pull this."

Harry nodded heavily and stood up. "I'm going to go see Griphook and Ragnok to let them know that I'll be going public soon. You and Neville keep looking to see if there's something to help us find Hermione, but like you said, Hermione is a survivor and won't let Dumbledore lock her up if she can do anything to stop it." He picked up Kex who was starting to become more alert and apparated away, leaving a more hopeful Luna.

* * *

Hermione's hands trembled as she ripped the sheets on her bed into multiple strips. She had been doing this since Brook had left, but she wanted to get the job done.

She kept ripping until Ivy groaned and woke up. Ivy looked at Hermione in confusion before testing her leg gently.

"How's your leg?" Hermione asked.

Ivy winced and sat down heavily. "Better," she admitted. "_But I don't think I'll be able to walk for a bit_."

Hermione smiled sadly and began tying some of the torn strips together. Her familiar looked at her in confusion and suddenly noticed all of the strips that were scattered on the bed.

"_What did I miss_?" Ivy asked.

"Brook told me that the only way to get out of here is to fly," Hermione groaned.

"_Damn_," Ivy sighed. "_But that doesn't explain why you're tying sheets together_."

Hermione held up her project. It was a large sling. A large part of the sheet had been tied to numerous strips and was secured with some rope.

"This is for you," Hermione explained. "You're in no condition to maintain a body merge, plus it's going to take a while to get back to England."

Ivy nodded in agreement. "_Great, so I'm going to be hanging around your neck all the way to England_," she said sarcastically.

"It's not going to be enjoyable for either of us," Hermione responded. "I don't even know how long it will take to get to England seeing as we have no idea where we are besides that we're in Greenland somewhere."

"_Most of the trip will be over the ocean_," Ivy said worriedly. "_Will you be able to make it_?"

"I'll have to," Hermione said determinedly while she finished making the sling. "We might not even need to make it all the way to England. If we can find someone magical to take off this power suppressor then I can apparate us to Diagon Alley."

Hermione searched the shack for some supplies while Ivy scanned the room from her spot on the bed. Hermione took some food from the fridge and put it in the sling along with some small blankets. She was scanning the cupboards when something caught her eye.

Sitting on the counter next to the fridge was a bottle of butterbeer with a cork sticking halfway out. Hermione glanced from the cork to the magnets on the refrigerator and felt an idea click in her head.

Without explaining her idea to Ivy, she ran into the bathroom and searched through the cabinets until she found what she was looking for.

"Perfect!" she shouted excitedly.

"_What's perfect_?" Ivy asked.

Hermione ran back into the 'kitchen' and grabbed the cork, a magnet and filled a glass with water from the fridge. She then sat down in front of the bed and began rubbing the magnet against what she had taken from the bathroom.

"_Would you please explain what you are doing_?" Ivy asked.

Triumph was evident on Hermione's face. "When I was in primary school my teacher taught us a simple experiment. When I was getting food I saw this cork and it instantly reminded me of it."

"_And_?" Ivy asked impatiently.

A wide smile was on Hermione's face as she showed what she had made. Stuck right through the cork was a sewing needle. Clearly excited, Hermione put the cork in the glass of water.

"It's a handmade compass," Hermione said happily. "Because Greenland is in the north, this compass will point towards north."

"_And by knowing where north is you'll know where east is_," Ivy finished excitedly. "_You'll know which direction to fly_!"

Hermione nodded and continued to watch the compass. When the cork and needle finally stopped spinning Hermione pointed to where east would be. "That's where we start," Hermione said determinedly.

Right away, Hermione finished arranging stuff in the sling and tested it to make sure that it wouldn't break. She put the cork and needle along with the magnet in the sling before she put Ivy in it. Being careful, Hermione arranged the supplies to make sure that Ivy would be covered by the small blankets without damaging the other supplies. Once Hermione felt that the sling was as secure as it was going to get, she put it around her neck and stepped outside.

Immediately Hermione and Ivy were met with a gust so strong that it nearly knocked Hermione off her feet. "Are you alright Ivy?!" she shouted over the wind.

Ivy looked up at Hermione with a stern expression. "_I'll be fine, but you need to transform right away! You'll freeze in your human form_!"

Hermione nodded and took in shaky breaths to fight off the fear that was so strong that it threatened to make her pass out.

"I can do this, I can do this," she repeated.

She pictured Harry's green eyes and thought about being in his loving embrace. Using her love for Harry, Hermione forced back the dizziness and shifted.

She felt her body grow larger and felt the familiar pain as her new body part sprouted from her back. The sling became lighter and fit around her neck snugly without strangling her. Hermione took a few unsteady steps to get used to her form.

"_You've got this_!" Ivy shouted encouragingly.

"_We've got this_," Hermione responded.

Hermione stepped up to the location that was roughly east and leapt off of the edge of the cliff. Fear and exhilaration flooded through her veins as she took her rescue into her own hands.

Standing on the ledge where Hermione had just jumped was a small house elf who was smiling happily.

"Good luck Miss Granger," Brook whispered.

Flying towards England, back to her friends, back to her beloved was a beautiful, light brown Pegasus.

* * *

**A/N- I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as I could seeing as I have finals coming up. I had always pictured Hermione as graceful and beautiful and a Pegasus just screamed out to me. Hermione has always been independent and I also wanted her to take her safety into her own hands. Oh and in case people hadn't realized it yet, when I italicize conversation like with the familiars, it means that it's animals talking. You'll see this with the Heirs' animagus forms as well. Please review! -Phoenix**


	26. Marauder's Return

**A/N- Just thought I'd say that I've recently made my own C2. This C2 is dedicated to fics where Harry becomes stronger and is mostly meant for H+ Hr fics. I only add fics that I think are well-written and that are, in my opinion, worth reading. Please review! - Phoenix**

* * *

Despite the freezing cold, Hermione's body was covered with sweat as she continued to fly over the ocean in her animagus form with Ivy dangling around her neck in the sling. It had been over an hour since Hermione had leapt off of the mountain and she was already exhausted. All she had was a general direction and the hope that she would be able to make it the long distance back to England. They had concluded that the mountain they were on was somewhere near the coast, and they both hoped that Iceland wasn't too far off.

Ivy looked up at Hermione with wide, concerned eyes. "_Hermione, are you okay?! You've never flown this long before_!"

Hermione shook her long face and swished her dark-brown tail in the wind. "_I've never been so tired," _she admitted. "_This trip is going to take us more than one day_."

The small fox sighed and nodded in agreement. "_You should land on the first piece of land that you see_."

The graceful Pegasus nodded and continued to breathe heavily. It was so cold and every part of her hurt. When Hermione had discovered that her animagus form was a Pegasus she had been both excited and afraid. She was excited because she loved horses and knew that Pegasus horses had the ability to fly quickly and could disillusion themselves while flying, it was the flying part that terrified her. She had gotten used to her four legs and her larger form by running in the trunk, but due to the limited space she couldn't practice flying very well and she was now realizing her mistake for not flying more often now that she wasn't staying in the trunk any longer.

After another hour of flying, Hermione's tired eyes saw a shape in the distance. She found her second wind and pushed her wings to the point where they felt like they would fall off. Ivy barked encouragement and Hermione was soon gliding/falling to the very edge of the lass of land that was in front of them.

Hermione's front hooves landed clumsily and she nearly fell, but she beat her already aching wings to regain her balance. Her breath was visible in front of her, but she could already feel the difference in temperature and felt warmer. She scanned the land, but nothing registered in her exhausted mind.

"_I need to rest_," Hermione whinnied softly. "_I can barely stand_."

Hermione walked for ten minutes with her wings dragging in the dirt until she found a secluded area among rocks that provided enough room for Hermione. She changed back to her human form and pressed herself against the rocks while she took Ivy out of the sling.

Ivy's black eyes were bright with worry. "_Hermione, you'll freeze as a human_."

"I didn't think I could hold my Pegasus form any longer," Hermione said tiredly while she took out a roll that she had taken from the shack. She broke off half of it and gave it to Ivy who immediately began gnawing on it.

After they are their pitiful meal, Hermione took one of the blankets that she had brought and wrapped it around herself and Ivy. The rocks offered some protection from the wind and cold, but they were both still shivering. Ivy tried to take the power suppressor off of Hermione again so that they could reach Winky, but Ivy wasn't strong enough to break through Dumbledore's magic.

They fought to stay awake, knowing that it was too cold outside for them to sleep. It was soon dark and Hermione was still exhausted, but she knew that she had to keep moving or they would freeze. Ivy and the blanket went back in the sling and Hermione transformed again.

Because Hermione's wings were completely spent, Hermione trotted further into the land while keeping up her Pegasus disillusion magic. She hoped that they could find a village or something where they could sleep in warmth. Relief flowed through Hermione and Ivy when they found a small town. It was only a small number of buildings, but one of them had a barn where they could hide and rest.

Hermione entered the barn and quickly scanned for signs of other humans. When none were revealed, she shifted back and climbed into the barn's loft. She arranged a makeshift bed of hay behind some boxes and practically collapsed on it. Ivy crawled out of the sling and Hermione pulled the blanket over them. It was hardly home, but for the night it would work.

* * *

Griphook and Ragnok had been livid when Harry had told them of Dumbledore's latest actions. Not only had Dumbledore kidnapped a Lord's fiancé, he had kidnapped a friend of the goblins fiancé. The penalty of such an action was incredibly painful, but unfortunately goblin law was not respected in the magical community and killing Albus Dumbledore would more than likely lead to another war.

The three of them talked for an hour, going over details for when Harry went public. Ragnok sent goblins to search all of Dumbledore's properties, saying that since Dumbledore kidnapped someone of great importance to the goblins then they were fully within their right to search.

"Anything?" Harry asked worriedly when a goblin appeared and whispered in Ragnok's ear.

The head of Gringotts bank looked at Harry sadly and shook his head. "I'm afraid Harry that every Dumbledore property that we have in our records has been checked and there are no signs of your fiancé. There are most likely other properties that Dumbledore owns, but because they aren't in the Gringotts files then we would be overstepping by digging up the information."

Harry sighed deeply and clenched his fists. "There's nothing that the goblins can do?"

Ragnok's eyes were incredibly sorrowful. "I can only tell you that she is above the equator based off of her goblin chain that holds her engagement ring. I will go check again to see if her location has changed, but the goblin magic is being fouled up by Dumbledore's magic, making it almost impossible to find."

"Please try," Harry begged. "I can't go searching half the world. If you can narrow it down to a country then I could go search for her."

The goblin nodded and excused himself to go check again. While Ragnok was gone, Harry talked with Griphook.

"So it is alright with your king that I openly declare myself friend to the goblins when I go public?" Harry asked.

Griphook nodded. "King Zesd is eager actually. After you go public he wishes to have an audience with you."

Harry smiled grimly. "I look forward to meeting King Zesd."

The door opened and Ragnok entered, looking pleased. "We have narrowed down her location Harry, she's somewhere around Iceland, but I cannot tell you where on Iceland she is."

Harry was immediately on his feet. "Thank you Ragnok! I am going to search for her; I'll send word to you when Hermione is safe. Thank you so much."

Ragnok waved away the thanks. "I was pleased to be of assistance Harry. Now go to her."

Harry nodded and headed back to Potter Manor with Kex right behind him. When they got there, Harry grabbed Kex and sprinted to the library. They found Neville and Luna talking amongst each other over a large book.

"She's near Iceland!" Harry said loudly, startling his two friends.

Luna's dull eyes brightened immediately. "Are you going to search for her?"

Harry nodded and turned to Neville. "I was hoping that you would help me search. In your animagus form you could track her easily."

A shadow fell across Neville's face. Even though it had been a long time since Neville's disastrous transformation he was still afraid and rarely changed.

Seeing the doubt on his best friend's face, Harry's eyes grew sympathetic. "Mate, you know that I would never ask this of you but…please. What if it was Luna who was missing?"

The doubt lingered on Neville's face for a second longer before he nodded determinedly. "I'll help you Harry."

Pride glowed on Luna's face. "You'll be alright Neville," she said softly. "Just remember what we worked on, just remember your anchor."

"How could I forget it?" Neville asked her, his eyes shining in adoration.

They held their gaze for a moment longer until Luna turned to Harry. "Dumbledore must have had her portkey deactivated and he must have cut off her connection to her elf magic which is why she hasn't apparated. That's also why Dobby or Winky can't find her. She could be calling for them, but they can't hear her."

"It's a good thing that I didn't order Dobby and Winky to find her," Harry mused. "If I had then they would have had to punish themselves since they wouldn't be able to find her."

Luna nodded. "I'll stay here and continue researching. I have an idea of what caused Hermione to basically 'drop off the grid' as muggles say. Hopefully when you get back I'll have a way to reverse what Dumbledore did."

Harry nodded and put Kex down on the table. "Kex do what you can to help Luna."

"You too Sage," Neville said to his familiar.

The familiars scowled but agreed nonetheless.

Harry grabbed Neville's shoulder and apparated out of Potter Manor. They landed on Iceland, he had no idea where, and immediately began to shiver.

"Bloody hell it's cold," Neville gasped while he tucked his arms close to his body. "How do you want to do this Harry?"

Harry coughed on the cold air. "I haven't thought that far. How about we just head in opposite directions and we portkey back to Potter Manor every hour to reconnect."

Neville nodded and put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "We'll find her Harry."

Harry smiled thankfully. Neville grinned back and stepped back before he began to shift. His body grew and his body became covered with thick, dark fur. When Neville was done shifting he stood over five feet tall with huge paws and dark eyes.

"Mate?" Harry asked hesitantly.

The dire wolf turned his massive muzzle towards Harry and Harry felt his breath catch in his throat. The wolf stepped up to Harry and it took all of Harry's willpower to remain where he was. Panic welled in his chest until the wolf thrust his head into Harry's chest, nearly knocking him over.

Relief made Harry laugh giddily. "You're in control!"

Neville nodded and clumsily pushed himself on his hind legs. On his hind legs he stood well over seven feet tall.

"Go for it, Titan," Harry said with a huge smile.

Neville, or Titan, gave Harry a wolf grin and turned to run across the land. Harry watched until he couldn't see his best friend any longer.

"Now it's my turn," Harry said determinedly.

* * *

Hermione woke up early the next day and snuck out of the barn before anyone saw her. She paused at the closest stream once they were out of the village's sights so that she and Ivy could drink their fill and clean up a little. Every bone in Hermione's body hurt and it was exhausting just to stand. But standing still was not something that Hermione could risk, especially once Dumbledore found out that she was gone.

When they were ready, Hermione transformed again and began trotting in the general direction that England was. Hermione was surprised to find out that her sense of direction was incredibly accurate in her animagus form and that she didn't need her makeshift compass to tell her where she was. The weather was warmer which made it easier for Hermione to maintain her natural Pegasus disillusion, but she wanted to save her wings for when it was essential.

After traveling in silence for half an hour, Ivy decided to break the silence. "_What do you think will happen when we get back?"_

Hermione shook her head and kept trotting. "_I wish I knew. But, I do know that this will not happen again_."

Ivy shrugged and snuggled in the blankets. "_Dumbledore may not be able to kidnap us again, but that doesn't mean that he won't stop trying to get to Harry through you_."

"_He won't get the opportunity again_," Hermione said while she curled her lip in anger. "_I let my guard down back in the office and because of that Dumbledore got me in a semi-body bind. From now on, I will not underestimate him_."

The fennec fox looked surprised at the ferocity in Hermione's voice. "_Save your anger Hermione, Dumbledore will get what's coming to him_."

Hermione nodded and continued on. She eventually had to slow down to a walk and began stopping more and more frequently to rest. Whenever she stopped she shifted back and let Ivy out so that she could exercise her leg gently. Ivy would grimace in pain, but she refused to complain about it. She wouldn't complain about her leg hurting when Hermione was pushing her body past its limits in order to get them to safety.

By noon Hermione couldn't take just walking towards England without seeing any change in scenery. Suppressing a groan, she flapped her wings a few times and took to the air. She was surprised to find that she actually felt better when she was flying compared to walking. As much as she didn't like it, her animagus body was made to fly.

"_The view is beautiful during the day_," Hermione commented to Ivy over the wind.

Ivy laughed, but refused to open her eyes. "_At least one of us is getting over their fear of heights_."

Hermione laughed and was suddenly tempted to do a dive, but she wasn't willing to push it just yet. _I wonder if Harry feels this…well __**light**__ while flying_, Hermione thought.

Hermione was enjoying the feeling of the wind in her hair…well mane…that she didn't notice an elated trill. It wasn't until Ivy excitedly butted her head against her chest that she surveyed her surroundings. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw something flying straight at her. Her instincts were telling her to flee, but something deeper was telling her to stay where she was. The figure flying right at her got closer and Hermione felt all of her exhaustion fade away when she recognized the red feathers and the emerald eyes…

"_Harry_!" she cried out happily.

She nearly barreled right into Harry. The phoenix flew circles around Hermione and would preen her mane with his beak anxiously as if personally making sure that she wasn't harmed.

"_Are you alright_?" Harry demanded anxiously while he continued his inspection.

Hermione nodded and glided down to the ground with Harry hovering right behind her. She shifted back and would have fallen if Harry hadn't put his feet on her shoulders and beat his wings to keep her upright until she was steady. Once she had her balance he landed and shifted back. He was still sporting a few red feathers when he pulled her into a tight hug.

All of the exhaustion and fear that she had felt crashed upon her and she cried in Harry's arms. He held her while he cried while being careful to not crush Ivy. When Hermione finished crying she pushed her lips against Harry's and kissed him with more passion than she ever had before.

When they came up for air Harry helped her sit down and took the sling off from around her neck. His eyes narrowed when he saw how pale Hermione was and how exhausted she looked.

"How long have you been flying?" he asked.

Hermione chuckled tiredly and pushed her sweat-soaked hair behind her ear. "I took off yesterday but we stopped last night."

Harry nodded and gently caressed her face. "I'm so sorry Mione'," he whispered softly. "I'm so…"

Hermione clicked her tongue impatiently. "Harry, I'm not hurt, just exhausted. I was scared, but I didn't let my fear stop me from doing what I had to do. Harry…I **flew**." Her eyes sparkled at her accomplishment. "I flew longer than I ever thought possible. If Dumbledore hadn't kidnapped me then I never would've done it. Please Harry, don't blame yourself because in a strong way, Dumbledore did me a huge favor."

Harry smiled proudly. "What happened?"

Fatigue shadowed her face and Harry instantly put an arm around her waist to steady her. "Let's go home," she yawned. "I'd rather tell this story only once."

Harry nodded and held onto Hermione firmly while she held onto Ivy. He apparated them to their bedroom in Potter Manor and immediately helped Hermione sit down.

"You need to eat and drink something," Harry said firmly while he went to their closet to grab Hermione a change of clothes.

"Ivy's leg is broken," Hermione said while she took a pair of sweats and a sleeveless from Harry.

While she changed Harry ran to get the others. She wasn't even settled on the bed when the door burst open and Luna tackled her into a hug.

"I was so worried," she cried. "I didn't know if we'd ever see you again!"

Hermione smiled and hugged Luna back. "I'm alright."

Luna nodded and pulled back. Her eyes grew stormy when she saw the necklace around Hermione's neck. "I was right. He did put a power suppressor on you. My guess is that it's only cutting off enough magic just so you can't cast spells and completely cutting off elf magic."

"That's right," Hermione said with a tired smile. "It didn't block all of my magic though, I was able to transform and fly away."

Luna's eyes widened in surprise. "You **flew**? Blimey Hermione, you must have been terrified!"

A tired giggle escaped Hermione's lips. "Completely, but my form is made to fly."

They decided to wait for Neville to return before Hermione told her story. Winky brought Hermione and Ivy a huge meal and wouldn't leave until she was satisfied that they had eaten enough. She finished the healing on Ivy's leg and everyone left so that Hermione could sleep for a little while.

While they waited for Neville to check in, Luna was reading a book with Fay while Harry, with Kex on his shoulder and Sage right beside him, paced impatiently.

"Please stop pacing," Luna asked irritably after fifteen minutes. "I'm trying to find a way to take that power suppressor off of Hermione and you're not helping."

Harry stopped pacing and looked at Luna sheepishly. "Sorry. Do you have any ideas?"

Luna nodded and showed Harry the text she was reading. "We need to overpower Dumbledore's magic," she said simply. "That's why Ivy couldn't take it off. We're all pretty powerful, but honestly none of us has more magic than Dumbledore. If we all pour our magic into the power suppressor then we should be able to take it off."

"Will that hurt Hermione?"

Uncertainty filled Luna's gaze. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "It might burn her a little, but it shouldn't do anything terrible."

Harry didn't seem thrilled at the idea but he nodded nonetheless.

Thirty minutes later Neville reappeared in the library, covered with sweat. "No sign mate," he croaked.

Harry smiled and pulled Neville in a hug. "I found her, she's sleeping right now."

The fatigue immediately disappeared from Neville's face. "Is she alright?" he asked.

"Exhausted," Harry sighed. "And she has a power suppressor on that we have to get off. She's been flying for hours."

"Wow," Neville whistled. "She must have been determined to get away if she flew."

Pride filled Harry's face. "She's not a Gryffindor for nothing."

"Or a Slytherin," Luna added.

By the time Winky came to get them to let them know that Hermione was awake, they had a very general idea of what they needed to do to get the power suppressor off. They went to Harry's and Hermione's room and they made quick work of the nuisance. By pushing their magic into the necklace and merging their magic together so to speak, Dumbledore's magic was quickly evaporated. Without Dumbledore's magic present, the necklace easily slipped over Hermione's head when they lifted it together. Around Hermione's neck was a slight burn, but she quickly took care of it herself.

"That's so much better," Hermione sighed in content while she leaned against the pillows.

Harry glared at the necklace in his hand. "Dumbledore will never touch you again," he promised. To prove his point, he tossed the necklace to the corner of the room and shot a quick 'reducto' at it, utterly destroying it.

Hermione smiled at her friends. "Thank you. It all started…"

* * *

Anger was quickly becoming a well-known emotion to Albus Dumbledore. He had been told by some random house elf that the Granger girl wasn't in the shack and that there was no sign of her anywhere. He furiously dismissed the elf from his office and began pacing in his office.

_Damn that girl_, he thought fiercely. He quickly checked his pocket watch and swore again. _She even managed to disarm the power suppressor. I will subdue her, even if I have to break her wand to do so_.

As if to answer his thoughts, a house elf that he didn't recognize quickly apparated in his office and tossed a piece of parchment at him before apparating away before he could get a good look.

With hands shaking out of anger, Albus Dumbledore opened the piece of parchment and read the short note.

_Dear 'Headmaster',_

_You have now gone too far. No longer will you be able to play with peoples' lives as if they were chess pieces. We will stop you. Voldemort may be the evil Lord of Darkness, but you are the evil Lord of Light. Your days at Hogwarts are numbered. The Heirs have returned._

_Sincerely,_

_Beauty, Titan, Storm and Ashes_

Albus Dumbledore went white at the letter and he let out a rage filled cry along with a strong pulse of raw magical power, effectively destroying many of his possessions in his office. Having the Heirs back would complicate things. He read the letter again and frowned.

"Who the bloody hell would name their kid 'Ashes'?"

* * *

**A/N- Aha! Another chapter! Of course I made Harry a phoenix; I had to include my namesake somewhere in my story! For those of you who haven't figured it out, Hermione is Beauty (a tribute to Black Beauty), Neville is Titan (word normally used for great power), Luna is Storm (in tribute to her stormy eyes) and Harry is Ashes (the reason is obvious). Please review! -Phoenix**


	27. Lord PotterBlack

**A/N- I have returned! Now, I'm not making promises about how often I'll update (I'm a busy gal!) but I can say that there won't be a three month gap again (hopefully). I hope that this chapter doesn't disappoint. –Phoenix**

* * *

Harry walked through stone halls with Hermione on his right-hand side and their familiars trotting behind them. Walking in front, beside and behind them was a goblin escort. Even though Harry was a friend of the goblins, no human got to walk through these halls without an escort, friend or no. It had been a week since Hermione had been reunited with Harry and it had taken that whole time for her to fully recover. While she recovered, she and her friends basically dropped off the grid. Harry, Neville and Luna didn't go to Hogwarts for classes, only letting McGonagall know they were safe through a note, while they planned.

They were currently walking through the stony hallways of the Goblin Kingdom. Only Harry, as friend of the goblins, Hermione, as his fiancé, and their familiars were permitted to enter. At long last Harry was to meet with King Zesd and talk about an alliance between the Potter-Black houses and the goblins for the upcoming war.

Leading them to their meeting with King Zesd was Ragnok himself. The Head Goblin at Gringotts had insisted on introducing Lord Potter-Black and the future Lady Potter-Black to his King.

Harry held Hermione's hand tightly in his own. Only Hermione knew of his anxiousness to meet with King Zesd due to his sweaty palms. This meeting was crucial to the battle that would inevitably happen. He couldn't afford to screw this up.

Using his abilities as an empath, Harry could tell that Hermione was just as anxious as he was, but she was trying her best to maintain her composure. Harry's heart warmed at how his fiancé was handling herself in the unfamiliar environment.

They walked in silence until they reached two large doors. The doors were large, but nowhere near the size of the doors to Hogwarts. Ragnok gave Harry a reassuring goblin smile, which would not be reassuring at all if Harry wasn't familiar with goblin expressions, and opened the doors.

"Announcing," Ragnok began. "The Lord Potter-Black, the future Lady Potter-Black and their true familiars Kex and Ivy."

Taking in a deep breath, the small group entered the throne room of King Zesd. The room was plainer than Harry thought it would be. Knowing of the goblin's love of gold and fine metal, Harry was expecting gems to be glimmering off of the walls or the throne to be made of crystal. Instead the throne room was simply made out of stone with numerous torches hanging off the walls and a throne that looked rather uncomfortable.

Sitting on the throne was a goblin who had enough scars to put Zux's to shame. He was average size for a goblin and Harry doubted that he would reach his waist. His eyes were black and cold, but they also held a fierce intelligence in them. There was a ring that held a different stone on each one on each of his fingers and on his head sat a simple crown that appeared to be made out of moonstone. Other than that the goblin wore no jewelry.

Ragnok led them until they were standing right in front of the throne. Once they were right in front of the throne, he walked to the side. As soon as Ragnok was to the side and their guard dispersed to the side, Harry and Hermione knelt on the floor in respect while Kex and Ivy bowed low.

"King Zesd," Harry said formally without meeting the goblin's eyes. "I come to you to humbly request your audience. I am the Lord Potter-Black, friend to the goblins and past apprentice of Ragnok's Champion, Zux Greatkiller."

"I know who you are," King Zesd said in a deep voice, interrupting Harry before he could continue. "And I know why you are here." He swept his gaze over the goblin guard and commanded, "Leave us."

The goblin guard bowed respectfully and left the throne room in formation. Once the doors closed, Zesd rose from his throne and stepped up to the kneeling humans.

"Zux taught you well about goblin customs," Zesd said approvingly. "You know better than to look a goblin whose status is higher than your own in the eye."

Harry grinned and raised his head, still taking care not to look Zesd directly in the eye. "Thank you Your Majesty. Master Zux was an excellent teacher."

Zesd nodded and turned his attention towards Hermione. "I am pleased to see that you've recovered from your kidnapping Mistress Granger."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Hermione answered with her head still bowed. "I am pleased as well."

"Now that we've moved on from the pleasantries," Zesd said with a dignified nod. "We can move onto business. Let's take this meeting to a different location."

Zesd led them into a smaller room that was similar to Ragnok's office back at Gringotts. Numerous chairs surrounded a circular table and there were numerous books and maps along the stone walls. He took the seat that was higher than the other seats and motioned with his hand for the others to do the same.

Harry couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at how Ragnok's chair was lower than another goblin's. Even though Harry knew that Ragnok wasn't the most powerful goblin in the world, he was the most powerful one that Harry knew.

"So Lord Potter-Black," Zesd began once he was comfortable. "You propose an alliance between the goblin nation and your two houses. May I ask why you do not propose an alliance between my nation and all of wizard kind?"

Harry's back was straight and his chin was held with confidence though he didn't look Zesd in the eye. "Your Majesty, not all wizards can be trusted and there are many who would try to take advantage of you and your people. I am a goblin in all but blood and I love and value your culture. By creating an alliance between your nation and my houses, no one will be able to take advantage of your people."

Zesd rubbed one of his rings absent-mindedly. "And who would be under your control Lord Potter-Black?"

Harry frowned slightly at this. "I do not wish to control anyone Your Majesty. But, I do hope that you will trust those who I trust and that we will be able to work together."

"And how long do you propose this alliance to last?" Zesd asked in interest.

"While I hope that we can create peace between our two races," Harry began carefully. "I am proposing that this alliance last until the end of the war that is beginning."

Zesd smiled grimly. "A short alliance helps to prevent the opportunity of one side being taken advantage of."

Harry looked slightly alarmed. "We would never take advantage…"

Zesd raised his hand to stop Harry from continuing. "I am not suggesting that you would Lord Potter-Black, but it is inevitable that other wizards would try to take advantage. You are part of the goblin nation Harry, but you are part of the wizard nation as well. It is because you are a part of both worlds that I will accept this alliance."

It took a couple moments for King Zesd's words to sink in. Once Harry fully understood those words, his composed position slumped and he let out the breath of relief that he hadn't been aware he was holding.

"Thank you Your Majesty," Hermione said gratefully when she realized that Harry couldn't. "We will not betray your trust."

"I hope not my dear," Zesd said with a grin that showed all his teeth. "Goblins are well known to hold grudges. But, my instinct tells me that I will not be bearing one towards you and your fiancé. Now, let us do the most terrifying part of alliances such as this…the paperwork."

* * *

Albus Dumbledore scowled into his breakfast, students talked, rather loudly, about the recent disappearances of Harry, Hermione, Neville and Luna. Although he had reassured the school about the four's safety, it continued to irk him that they were missing at all.

It had been a week since he had seen the Potter boy and his friends. It had also been a week since Granger had escaped imprisonment. Albus Dumbledore was no fool to believe that the two disappearances weren't related.

Sitting on his right-hand side, Minerva McGonagall watched Dumbledore through narrowed eyes. The Scottish woman was no fool; she knew that Dumbledore relocating Hermione had triggered the absence of four other students.

"Minerva," Dumbledore said with thinned patience. "I thought that I discussed this with you."

"You have Albus," she answered, her accent even thicker with anger. "But you haven't pleased me with your answers. You relocated Miss Granger, and three more students disappear with only a note saying that they are safe. You can understand why I am displeased with your answer of, 'it's taken care of.'"

Albus scowled at his Deputy. "Since when do you question my judgment Minerva?"

"Since it started needing questioning."

Before Dumbledore could make a retort, the large doors to the Great Hall opened and numerous goblins flooded in with weapons held in formation and Ragnok at the lead. When the Gringotts Head Goblin reached the High Table, he looked Dumbledore evenly in the eye and frowned.

"What is the meaning of this?" Dumbledore demanded. "You have no authority to enter my school with an armed guard."

"I have full right," Ragnok replied coldly. "When a client of high power is involved here it becomes my right to ensure that everything is secure."

Dumbledore's face grew red. "And what 'client' is this?"

"That would be me."

Everyone turned their attention to the source of the voice. Mouths gaped when they recognized the messy black hair and lightning-bolt-shaped scar.

Harry entered the Great Hall with Kex on his shoulder and Hermione and Ivy on his right. Neville, Luna, Sage and Fay brought up the rear looking just as regal as Harry and Hermione.

"Harry, my boy," Dumbledore said in his grandfatherly tone. "You had us worried with your absence. Now, why do the goblins think that you are their client?"

"Cut the crap, Dumbledore," Harry said coolly. "I am here no longer as Harry Potter. From today on, I am Lord Potter-Black, Lord of the Ancient Houses of Potter and Black. I am legally emancipated and I proclaim Hermione Jean Granger to be not only my ward, but also my fiancé. No longer am I your pawn, Dumbledore. This is a completely new game now."

* * *

**A/N- I know that this chapter is incredibly short after such a long wait, but I'm still busy. With school coming up and family stuff I barely had time to write this. Plus, I really wanted to get Harry's announcement and meeting with Zesd done quickly. Thank you all for waiting during my absence, and know that I am fairly sure that this will have a sequel once it's done. -Phoenix**


	28. Vanishing Cabinet

**A/N- Ah spare time, I never have you these days. I'm writing when I can, but senior year in college is tough and time-consuming. Plus, I'm trying to get a good flow started on my new story, a Hermione x Sirius pairing. –Phoenix**

* * *

There were few times in his life when Albus Dumbledore felt truly speechless. He could literally count them on one hand. This was one of those times.

"W-wha…" Dumbledore stammered. He felt his magic begin to grow wild out of anger and it took all of his restraint to not lash it out at the insufferable boy in front of him.

"Harry," Minerva gasped. "What is the meaning of this?"

Harry gave Hermione's hand a squeeze and left his guard behind to walk up to the High Table. "Exactly what it looks like Professor. I am declaring my titles and informing Dumbledore that things are going to start changing."

"Let us go to my office and sort this out my boy," Dumbledore said quietly.

"I'll pass on that Dumbledore," Harry said coldly. "I haven't forgotten what happened when Hermione went to your office. The only reason why the goblins aren't taking you into custody now is because I hadn't legally proclaimed Hermione to be my ward. You will not come near her ever again."

Dumbledore's eyes grew cold and he stood up. "You will not address me this way. I am your Headmaster and your legal guardian. You cannot claim your titles."

Ragnok walked up to stand next to Harry. "He can and he did. Heirs to an Ancient House can claim their titles at 11. The fact that Harry was not even aware of his inheritance until recently is unacceptable."

"I will not be scolded by a goblin," Dumbledore snapped. He quickly took his wand out of his cloak and cast a privacy charm to block out the other students.

Harry quickly canceled the privacy charm. "You deserve worse, Dumbledore. Consider this a warning. Come after me through my loved ones again, and you'll feel the weight of my titles. I do believe that I have the power to start the process of removing you from your post on the Wizengamot. This is merely a notice that I am using my rights as a Lord to take up the option of no longer living here at Hogwarts. From now on, we shall arrive at Hogwarts for classes, but other than that we shall return home."

Snape stood up, furious. "Insolent little brat," he snapped. "You can't do that."

"I believe that you'll find that I can," Harry replied coolly. "As a Lord, I can choose my own lodgings, and Hermione can do the same as my fiancé."

"That does not excuse Longbottom and Lovegood," Snape said with a sneer.

Neville rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Professor. I'm the heir to the Ancient House of Longbottom. As the heir, I have the same rights as Harry. And I proposed to Luna days ago so that extends to her as well."

Snape looked surprised that Neville was not only addressing him, but mocking him as well. "Fifty points from Gryffindor," he spat.

"I don't care about losing points anymore," Neville said with a careless shrug. "The House Cup is a complete joke."

Before Snape could take away a hundred more points, Ginny Weasley came storming up to the group, only stopping when the goblin guard barred her way.

"Harry, what did you mean when you said Hermione was your fiancé?" she demanded.

Harry sighed, like he didn't have the energy to talk to her. "Exactly how it sounds, Ginny. Hermione and I are engaged. Hermione will be the Lady of both the Potter and Black houses."

Ginny's face grew as red as her hair. "But our contract!"

"Only covered me as a Potter," Harry said steely. "It didn't cover me as a Black. Once I claimed the Black lordship the contract was void. And since I'm legally emancipated, no one has the authority to bind me to a new one."

"Harry," Dumbledore said as calmly as he could. "I really must insist that we go to my office."

"And I insist that we don't," Harry spat back. "I haven't done anything to break school rules; I am only here for class. Now, if you'll excuse us, not that you have a choice, we're going to head to class."

Albus Dumbledore could only stare in bewilderment as the boy who he thought he had under his complete control, turned his back and walked out of the hall, not even sparing him another glance.

* * *

The next day, the headlines of the Daily Prophet brought great amusement to the tight group.

_**Harry Potter becomes Lord Potter-Black!**_

_Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, the one who defeated you-know-who as an infant, has declared the titles of not one, but two Ancient Houses. _

_Yesterday morning during breakfast at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, young Lord Potter-Black entered the Great Hall with a goblin escort, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood along with their four true familiars. When the young lord entered the room, Albus Dumbledore tried to convince him to go to his office, but Lord Potter-Black denied the great Albus Dumbledore._

"_He told the Headmaster to 'cut the crap'," one excited student told this reporter. "Harry looked like a Lord and he told Dumbledore that he wouldn't be controlled anymore."_

_What does Lord Potter-Black mean by 'controlled'? While Lord Potter-Black declared himself legally emancipated, he also declared muggleborn witch, Hermione Granger, to be both his ward and his fiancé. Hermione Granger is a fifth year and the top of her class. Although she is the image of Ravenclaw, she is in Gryffindor. It is common knowledge that the witch is close friends to Lord Potter-Black, but what this reporter wants to know is when she managed to snag him enough for him to propose. _

"_She is to be the Lady of both houses," another student told this reporter._

_While it is uncommon for one person to be the lord of two houses, it is not unheard of and the lord would marry two witches who would be the lady of different houses. If Hermione Granger is to be the lady of both the Potter and Black houses, then she will need to produce both heirs. _

_The details are still being hunted down, but rest assured loyal readers, these details will be printed and the truth will be known._

_Rita Skeeter_

Even Hermione had to laugh at the article. "She couldn't slander me now that I'm your fiancé," she laughed with Harry. "Not unless she wants your wrath."

Harry clutched his sides. They were currently sitting at the dining hall in Potter Manor, finishing breakfast before they returned to Hogwarts for classes. The whole commuting to school for class was seriously an improvement compared to sneaking around.

"I just hope that people know better than to send you hate mail again," Harry said once he controlled his laughter.

Hermione shrugged and got up from the table. "I'm not worried about that. They'll probably think that you'll use all your lordly powers to get them fired or something. You do own quite a good portion of the wizarding world you know."

"I wonder if I could get Skeeter fired," Harry said wistfully.

"She did help us last year," Hermione pointed out. "She wrote that article for the Quibbler."

"Doesn't mean that I like her," Harry said dryly.

The group grabbed their books, said goodbye to the elves and apparated to Hogwarts. Something told them that this wasn't going to blow over too soon.

* * *

Come March, the Heirs finally got their first clue to Voldemort's current plans, and the clue came from Neville's Forest Speech ability.

They were by the Black Lake, relaxing after classes before they went home, when Neville suddenly stopped stroking Luna's hair and literally put his ear to the tree that he was leaning against.

"Neville," Luna said once she sensed her fiancé tense. "What is it?"

"Something weird," Neville muttered.

Everyone was quiet as Neville closed his eyes in concentration. After a minute he opened his eyes and stared at his friends in astonishment. "I just got told by the trees that Malfoy met with his dad in the Forbidden Forest a couple days ago. The trees don't understand what they were saying, but they sort of…I don't know how to describe it…replayed the conversation for me to hear. They were talking about a cabinet and how repairs were going. Damn, Malfoy looked pretty scared." He blushed when he saw his friends gaping at him. "I can't really explain," he muttered.

"That's your Forest Speech ability," Hermione said in excitement. "I've been looking forward to seeing it in action."

Neville grinned sheepishly and went back to stroking Luna's hair. "That's the clearest that I've ever heard them," he explained. "They don't communicate with words, but they remember them and can pass them on short distances through their roots."

Harry smiled. "Can you ask them to keep an eye out for any more Malfoy meetings?"

"They don't really understand messages like that," Neville said as he fondly stroked the tree. "But, they can sense that the Malfoys are bad news and they'll pass on any more meetings to me."

"You're amazing," Luna said lovingly as she cuddled into Neville's frame. "Harry, check the map to see where Malfoy is right now."

"On it," Harry said as he took the map out of his bag and placed it on the ground. He activated it and scanned it for Malfoy's name. When he found it he frowned. "He's in the room of requirement," he said dryly. "He could be doing anything in there. And Crabbe is standing guard outside."

Hermione smiled and stood up with a stretch. "Well, I guess that we'll have to go find out what he's planning then, won't we?"

They quickly packed up their books and ran to the castle. When they made it to the floor where the room of requirement sat, they scanned the map for anyone else before Hermione picked up Ivy and got under the invisibility cloak and stepped around the corner.

She frowned in confusion when she didn't see Crabbe standing outside of the room, but a small first year girl holding a pair of scales.

"The map says that Crabbe is the one standing there," she said softly to Ivy while she quietly inched forward.

Ivy sniffed the air and suppressed a sneeze. "_That's Crabbe alright. That goof never bathes. Plus, I can smell boomslang skin and lacewing flies_."

"Ingredients for polyjuice potion," Hermione sighed. "I guess that there are more people than we know of working this plan. Let's go find out what's going on."

Hermione quietly walked up to Crabbe. Before Crabbe could sense her, she pointed her wand at him and muttered, "Legillimens."

She was in and out of Crabbe's mind quickly; she didn't want to see anything Crabbe had done. Once she had her answer, she gently erased the memory of Crabbe needing to stand guard. She stepped back and watched in bitter amusement as Crabbe confusedly looked around the hallway before shrugging and walking away. Once he was gone, she took off the cloak and was joined by her friends.

"Crabbe doesn't know anything except that Malfoy is working on a project for Voldemort," Hermione said gravely. "He and Goyle have been taking shifts disguised as first years to stand guard. If someone gets too close, they drop the scales to signal Malfoy to stay put."

"Do you know what Malfoy needed from the room?" Luna asked.

Hermione nodded. "But, when we reveal the door Malfoy will know something is up and he'll undoubtedly attack."

Luna bit her lip in thought. The others gave her a minute to think her plan through, Luna always came through. After a minute she smiled. "Hermione, do you think you can apparate in there once the door is revealed?"

"Of course," Hermione said immediately.

"Can you do it silently?"

That made Hermione hesitate. "It will be tricky, but I think that I can."

Luna smiled. "I'm sure that you can. Okay, I need you to apparate in there, silently and under the cloak, and observe Malfoy working on whatever it is that he's working on. Just long enough to get a good idea on what he's doing. I don't want you to use Legilimency on him if you can avoid it. If you go unnoticed, then Voldemort remains unaware of our knowledge. When you know what he's doing, come back out here. But don't take too long, we wouldn't want you to give Harry a heart attack out of worry."

The two best friends shared a giggle and Hermione put the cloak back on with Ivy still in her grasp. She gave Harry an invisible kiss on the cheek and put in extra effort to apparate herself and Ivy into the room that Malfoy had specifically asked for.

When she was done apparating, she found herself standing in a room full of broken and forgotten items. She clutched Ivy with one arm and drew her wand with her other hand. Ivy used her ears to locate Malfoy and silently directed Hermione towards the obnoxious Slytherin.

Malfoy was standing in front of a large cabinet with a dismayed look on his face. He held his wand limply and looked so defeated that Hermione almost felt sorry for him.

"Why won't you work?" he asked the cabinet brokenly. "I was lucky that the Dark Lord gave me an extension to the end of the year. If he hadn't then I would be dead already."

_I wonder what my chances are that he'll blab his whole plan right now_, Hermione thought dryly.

She had no such luck. For half an hour, Hermione sat on the floor, next to an ugly mannequin that had an uglier hat-like thing on it, watching Malfoy try spells from a list that he had. Every time a spell failed, he groaned and would kick the closest object. To assure Harry that she was safe, she would send out her feelings of love and confidence every few minutes.

Just when Hermione was preparing to apparate back, Malfoy cried out and fell to his knees, crying.

"I can't do it," he sobbed to himself. "Nothing that Aunt Bellatrix gave me is working. Fixing the vanishing cabinets had seemed so simple! I thought that after Borgin and I fixed the one in his shop that I would be able to do this on my own. Father is going to kill me…"

It was Ivy's light bite that stopped Hermione from stepping forward to comfort the distraught boy. Suppressing a sigh, she hugged Ivy close and silently apparated back into the hallway to join her friends.

Before the cloak was even completely off, Harry was kissing her. He scolded her for making him worry and kissed her harder.

"Let's go home," Hermione said breathlessly. "We have work to do."

They contacted Goldengaze and they were all soon sitting around the dining room table. Hermione had pulled out a couple of books from the library and she was looking excited.

"Voldemort is planning on invading Hogwarts," she announced with a smile.

"Um, Love," Harry said hesitantly. "That's not a good thing."

"I know that," Hermione said with an eye roll. "But, I know how he is going to invade and I also know how we can turn it to our advantage."

Fay ruffled her feathers. "_Tell us already_," she said impatiently.

Hermione smiled sheepishly. "The vanishing cabinet has a mate in Borgin and Burkes," she started. "That one is functioning and Malfoy is working on fixing the one that's in Hogwarts. Once they're fixed, Death Eaters will be able to enter the cabinet in Borgin and Burkes and arrive through the wards at Hogwarts."

"That's a brilliant plan," Luna said in awe. "And I'm guessing that you have an idea on how to foil their plan."

Hermione nodded and opened one of the books that she had taken from the library. "Right now, Malfoy is trying to fix the cabinet. I could add some runes to the cabinet in Hogwarts to either prevent them, or I could add runes to severely cripple them as they pass through."

"_Cripple how_?" Kex asked in interest.

"Blindness, deafness, loss of fingers," Hermione said vaguely. "It all depends on what we feel like."

Harry picked up the other book and flipped through some pages. "It sounds like you think that we should let the attack happen," he pointed out.

Neville leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. "I think that we could control this attack to prevent any injuries from by-standers. This opportunity to catch some elite Death Eaters is not one that we can pass up."

Goldengaze, who had been silent up until then, tapped his claws on the table absent-mindedly. "I agree with Neville, we can't pass this opportunity up. If we start right away, we could work on protections for the students and traps for the Death Eaters."

"What do you think, Harry?" Luna asked.

Everyone turned to Harry, Lord Potter-Black, Spiritual Heir of Godric Gryffindor and trusted leader. Harry smiled grimly and set down the book.

"Let's set some rat traps."

* * *

**A/N- I wanted to get my new story started before I started back up with this one. This story is reaching its conclusion, but a conclusion is to follow once it's done! Review and I'll have more motivation to write! -Phoenix**


	29. Horcrux

**A/N- Tick tock, the story clock is almost up. Review! –Phoenix**

* * *

Hermione and Luna worked on engraving runes in the vanishing cabinet while Harry and Neville stood guard to make sure that Malfoy didn't surprise them. The familiars explored the room looking for anything interesting in the stacks of broken items.

Between the group, they decided to go with more subtle runes. Luna had pointed out that if they used runes to take away limbs, then there was a good chance that they would realize that something was wrong and turn around. Instead, the group decided on using runes that would slowly dim the senses. When the Death Eaters passed through, they would lose all of their senses within ten minutes, little by little. They also decided to add a power cutoff rune to prevent the cabinet from working five minutes after it sensed that no one else had passed through.

"How's it going?" Neville asked from further way.

Hermione wiped the sweat off of her brow and put more of her power into the runes that she was working on. "We're almost done. Creating these runes alone isn't easy, but add the layers of concealment charms and it takes more time."

Kex poked his head out of an old trunk that he was currently inspecting. "_Take your time. There's a lot of cool stuff here_."

Fay glided over the stacks of forgotten items. "_I have never seen such a mess_," she said distastefully. "_I wouldn't be surprised if this is where students have come since the Founder's time to discard of their unwanted possessions_."

Just when Hermione and Luna were almost finished, Sage suddenly let out a yelp of pain.

"Sage?" Neville called out in alarm.

With wands drawn, the Heirs ran through the stacks of junk until they found Sage sitting next to the same mannequin that Hermione had noticed the day before. The hideous hat was on the floor and Sage was snarling at it while holding a severely burned paw to his chest.

"What happened?" Neville demanded when he inspected Sage's paw.

Sage panted in pain and glared at the hat. "_That thing has some real bad magic_," he explained. "_I thought that I smelled something strange. When I touched the hat, something dark tried to curse me. But it didn't take_."

Hermione knelt down next to Neville and hissed sympathetically at Sage's burn. "I think that's because certain curses can't affect true familiars. You guys are the physical bodies of powerful magic, and most spells can't overcome it."

Luna nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. Whatever cursed that hat must be pretty strong to hurt Sage like that though. I wonder what it was supposed to do."

While Hermione and Luna went to finish their job, Harry and Neville used every protective spell that they knew to contain the hat and used their wands to move it into a spelled trunk. After the runes were done and the hat safely contained for travel, they all went back to Potter Manor where Hermione and Neville worked on treating Sage. The burn didn't heal completely with Hermione's magic so Neville ended up applying some strengthened burn solutions that he had brewed. By the time they were done, Sage was limping around the dining room, grumbling.

While Hermione and Neville treated Sage, Harry and Luna took the hat to a secure room in the basement. When the safety runes were activated, Harry levitated the hat out of the trunk and put it on the floor. He and Luna stared trying every spell that they could think of to figure out what curses were on the hat, but they only found the remains of a compulsion charm which they figured wore off once Sage had touched the hat.

In the corner of the room, Kex and Fay were pressed against the wall in an effort to distance themselves as much as they could from the hat.

"What's wrong?" Luna asked in concern.

Fay fluffed her feathers and shook her head. "_Sage was right. There is some real dark magic on that hat or diadem as I think the proper name is. The compulsion charm must have been just strong enough to spike Sage's already strong curiosity. He was just lucky that whatever curse was on that thing didn't affect him completely_."

Harry nodded grimly and absently stroked his scar.

Of course, the ever-observant Luna noticed Harry's action immediately. "Is your scar burning?" she demanded.

Harry nodded grimly. "I don't understand why though. Even though I'm not as good as Hermione, my Occlumency is strong enough to prevent it from hurting."

Luna frowned and looked at the diadem. "Something about this diadem is making your scar act up," she observed. "I think that we should get a goblin to look at this thing, they have better diagnostic spells for dark artifacts."

Harry nodded in agreement. "I'll go talk to Ragnok right away."

They met up with Hermione and Neville in the dining room and after a quick kiss for Hermione, Harry apparated directly outside of Ragnok's office.

Doing the polite thing, he knocked on the door.

"Enter," Ragnok's commanding voice sounded from the other side.

Suppressing a sigh, Harry entered the room and walked up to Ragnok's desk.

"Harry," Ragnok said in surprise. "What can I do for you?"

Harry sat down and sighed wearily. "I'm sorry, Ragnok, but I have to ask something more of you."

Ragnok chuckled. "My, my, Harry, you certainly are high-maintenance."

The two friends shared a quick laugh before Harry's serious expression was back. "We found a very dark artifact in Hogwarts, one that makes my scar burn in reaction."

Immediately, Ragnok's eyes narrowed. "That would imply that your scar shares a connection with the artifact."

"That's what we figured," Harry said. "But, we can't figure out what it is. None of us have ever seen anything like it."

"And you thought that goblin detection would be better suited," Ragnok finished for him.

Harry nodded. "If you are willing, I would like to have a goblin check it out."

Ragnok nodded thoughtfully before he stood up and walked around the desk. "I would like to see this artifact for myself."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Of course I am," Ragnok said harshly. "I hardly ever offer to do something that I am not sure of. Now, let's go."

When they arrived back in the Manor, Harry led Ragnok to the room where the diadem was held where they found the other Heirs and the familiars standing a few feet away from the cursed object.

As soon as he saw the object, Ragnok's eyes flashed in awe. "That is the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw," he gasped.

At the mention of Rowena, Luna's eyes widened. "T-this is **the** diadem? But it was lost centuries ago!"

Ragnok nodded. "It was." He stepped closer and cast a diagnostic spell before he stopped abruptly, his teeth bared in fury. "May whoever did this to such a precious item always lift dull blades and may they die without honor," he cursed.

"What is it, Ragnok?" Harry asked as he rubbed his scar.

Ragnok spun around and looked scared for a brief second. "You were right to seek goblin help, Harry," he said coolly. "Someone turned the diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw into a horcrux."

Hermione gasped in horror and grabbed Harry's hand tightly. "No," Hermione whispered in dismay.

"Love," Harry said worriedly. "Fill me in here."

Hermione's eyes began filling with tears. "Oh, Harry," she cried. "If the diadem is a horcrux, that means that a piece of someone's soul is inside it. And because your scar reacted to it that means that it must be Voldemort's soul."

"Okay," Harry said. "But what does that mean?"

"A horcrux is a tether to life," Ragnok explained angrily. "If the body dies, the soul fragment will live on and the person can come back."

"So that's why Voldemort lived stuck between worlds," Neville sighed. "But if we destroy this and then kill Voldemort then there will be no more problem, right?"

Ragnok looked doubtful. "If Voldemort made one horcrux, there's no evidence to say that he didn't make more."

Luna cried out in frustration. "How are we supposed to know how many there are?"

Ragnok shrugged. "I honestly cannot say Miss Lovegood. But, seeing as the goblins have formed an alliance with the Potter-Black houses, you will have our full support."

Hermione, who had been silently wiping away her tears, eyed the diadem and Harry's scar. "Ragnok, can you sense a piece of Voldemort in Harry?" she asked quietly.

Silence filled the room and Harry felt his knees weaken. He did recall his second year when Dumbledore had told him that Voldemort had left a piece in Harry after their fateful encounter. It did make sense. But that didn't make him feel any better.

Ragnok had seemed to come to the same conclusion as well. He nodded sadly and waved his hand to cast the spell once more. Right away, Harry's scar started burning and he would have collapsed to the floor had it not been for Hermione who immediately steadied him. When his vision cleared, he saw Ragnok shaking his head sorrowfully.

"I'm sorry, Harry," he said quietly. "But, my spell detects a piece of a soul that is not your own residing in your scar."

Hermione let out a choked sob and buried her face in Harry's shoulder. "You must have a way to extract a soul fragment without harming its host," she pleaded.

Ragnok nodded grimly. "It has never been done on a human before though," he said sadly.

"Do it," Harry said firmly. "I can't live knowing that I have a piece of that freak's soul living in me."

The head goblin of Gringotts hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I can do it to both you and the diadem right now. All I require is a goblin-made blade."

"I've got my blade from Master Zux," Harry offered.

Ragnok considered it for a moment before shaking his head. "A warrior's sword might be too overpowering and with your safety on the line I will not chance it."

He quickly apparated back to Gringotts and was back within a minute holding a beautiful dagger. Harry whistled in awe and he felt a flash of envy flow from Hermione which confused him.

Not paying attention to Harry's or Hermione's actions, Ragnok began speaking softly in goblin-tongue and drew the knife across his palm once he was done. The blade absorbed the blood and glowed a soft blue. When the blue glow faded, Ragnok drove it into the diadem on the floor, earning a squeak of horror from Luna.

"Wait for it," Ragnok ordered.

The blue that had covered the dagger a moment ago covered the diadem. There was a harsh scream from the diadem, but it ended as soon as it had begun. When the glow faded, they were all stunned to see that the diadem was perfectly intact, there wasn't even a scratch where the dagger had entered.

Tentatively, Luna stepped forward and, at Ragnok's reassuring nod, picked up the diadem. With a look of complete awe on her face, she examined the diadem delicately.

"The Ravenclaw legend is that when Rowena Ravenclaw wore this," Luna began. "That her wisdom increased and that she guided Godric as his most trusted advisor during their time."

"You can try it out later, Love," Neville said adoringly. "But let's take care of Harry's snaky problem first."

Ragnok had already performed the spell once more on the dagger and was beckoning Harry to lie on the ground.

"Are you going to have to stab him?" Hermione asked in worry.

"Unfortunately, yes," Ragnok said sadly. "This will hurt, Harry. But the spell is meant to enable the dagger to destroy the soul, not the container. You might feel as if you were stabbed, but you should be fine."

Hermione was biting her lip in worry and she had her healing wand out and ready, just to be safe.

When Harry gave the affirmative nod, Ragnok thrust the dagger into Harry's stomach. Harry gasped in pain and clenched his teeth to keep from screaming. His body was soon covered in the blue glow and the haunting scream that wasn't Harry's own, came from his mouth.

His scar began to bleed and Harry began thrashing. Ragnok quickly knelt by his side and pressed down on one shoulder while Neville pressed down on the other.

"What's happening?" Hermione cried in horror.

"The soul is trying to possess him!" Ragnok snarled.

Hermione ran over to her fiancé and knelt by his head. She cradled Harry's head in her hands and whispered soothingly to the man that she loved.

"You're going to be alright," Hermione whispered. "You've beaten him before, and you're going to beat him now just like you will beat him for good in the future."

"Hurts," he gasped.

"I know it does," Hermione whispered as she graced Harry's lips with a kiss. "But, you Mister Potter, are not allowed to quit. I hardly want to marry that psychopath that's trying to possess you."

Despite the pain that he was in, Harry managed a chuckle. Slowly, the scar on his forehead stopped bleeding and his body stopped convulsing. After they were sure that Harry was alright, Ragnok and Neville let go and Hermione pulled Harry's head into her lap. His emerald eyes were drooping with exhaustion, but other than that he appeared fine. There was no entry wound from the dagger.

"You're amazing Love," Hermione said softly as she kissed Harry softly. "But don't you scare me like that again."

Harry wiped a tear away from Hermione's cheek with his thumb. "I'll try," he promised.

Ragnok wiped the dagger and tucked it in his belt. "Do not fret over the other horcruxes. I will put a team of my best goblins on the search, starting with every vault in Gringotts."

"Thank you, Ragnok," Harry whispered tiredly. He vaguely remembered Ragnok's reply before Hermione apparated him to their bedroom and his eyes closed in a deep sleep.

* * *

**A/N-Review! -Phoenix**


	30. Time

**A/N- Wow, I didn't realize how long it has been since I updated. It was completely put in the back of my mind. My bad! Review! –Phoenix**

* * *

Harry woke up feeling stiffer than he had in a long time. He felt worse than when Zux would drill him for hours at a time.

Suppressing a groan, he got out of bed and made his way to his bathroom. A hot shower helped to ease the tension out of his body, and he was soon walking down the hall, searching for his friends.

He found them in the library. Hermione and Ivy were hidden behind a large pile of books and Neville and Luna were discussing something a few feet away.

"What are you searching for?" Harry asked.

Hermione's head snapped up so fast that Harry was afraid that her neck would snap. She closed the book she was reading and raced over to engulf him in a big hug.

"Harry!" she exclaimed. "You should be in bed!"

Harry smiled warmly and kissed her hair. "Sorry that I worried you so much, Love. How long have I been asleep?"

Kex jumped off a near bookshelf and agilely climbed up Harry's pants-leg until he was sitting comfortably on his shoulder. "_You've been asleep for over a day. It's Saturday now_."

Harry blinked in surprise. "I can't believe that I slept for that long."

"It's perfectly normal," Hermione said as she took a step back. "Your body was accustomed to hosting a piece of Voldemort for so long that it needed to take time to recuperate. I actually noticed something interesting, Harry."

"What's that, Love?"

Hermione dragged Harry over to the nearest table and forced him to sit down. Only when he was seated comfortably did Hermione continue.

"It seems that Voldemort's soul fragment was actually inhibiting your own magic," she said. "Luna and I have both checked, and we both noticed that your magical power has been steadily growing as you slept."

"Wait," Harry said in astonishment. "So you're saying that I actually have more power than I currently do? I don't understand how Voldy's soul could stop my own magic from growing."

Luna sat down across from him. "Our theory is that Voldemort's soul fragment stopped your magic from growing when it entered your body. When two souls fight over one body, something takes damage and in this case, your magic did. We think that your level of magic before Ragnok got rid of the soul fragment is the same that it was when you were a baby and became a horcrux."

It was a good thing that Harry was already sitting; otherwise his legs would've given way at this surprising development. "I don't…how…why?"

Hermione giggled and smoothed Harry's hair back away from the scar. "It seems that Voldemort really is a parasite. We think that his soul was feeding off of your growing magic to survive because it couldn't overpower your own soul. I'd imagine that your body will be a little weak for a few days as it regenerates its lost magic. You'll need to be careful whenever you do magic from now on until you're used to your new level."

Harry nodded and took out his holly wand. "Lumos," he said.

Everyone had to cover their eyes as a blinding light came from his wand. It filled the library completely with light.

"Nox," Harry gasped and the light went out. He stared at his wand, then at Hermione. "Wow," he gasped.

"Wow indeed," Hermione said as she rubbed her eyes. "Please don't do that again until you have more control though."

"Agreed," Neville said as he blinked open his watering eyes.

Harry chuckled sheepishly and leaned forward to kiss Hermione. "Will do. So, what are you all researching?"

Immediately, Hermione went into study-mode. "We've been trying to find clues as to how many horcruxes Voldemort could have made. While you were sleeping, Ragnok came back and told us that they found another horcrux in Bellatrix's vault. He took care of the soul fragment and sent us the host in exchange for forfeiting our discovery fee. The goblins completely shut down the Lestrange vault and are working on shutting down every known Death Eater vault."

"Whoa," Harry whistled. "So, what was the host?"

Hermione gestured to a goblet that was sitting on the table in front of them. "That's Helga Hufflepuff's cup. Ragnok already took care of the soul so it's perfectly safe now. I think that Voldemort is going for Founders' items. We've already taken care of the diadem and now we have the cup. I've also been thinking about it and I think that the diary from second year was a horcrux as well."

Harry frowned. "But, if he was going for Founders' items, then why use a plain old diary?"

"I couldn't give you a guaranteed correct answer," Hermione sighed. "So, Luna and I have been looking into other Founders' objects and the only other ones beside Gryffindor's sword that we have found is Slytherin's locket. But, those are the Founders' exclusive items. There could be other items that are associated with the Founders' but that have slipped through the cracks in the history books."

"So far," Luna interrupted. "We know of four Horcruxes; you, the diadem, the cup, and the diary. I've been thinking, Voldemort is all about increasing his own power, so I've been doing research into what numbers are considered most magical. Every text says that the number seven is the most magical, we see seven all the time in potions because with a lot of magic, seven provides the most potential without completely overwhelming the intention. But, another thing is that I don't think that Voldemort intended to turn you into a horcrux, Harry."

"Then why am I counted as one of the seven?" Harry asked in confusion.

Luna sat down and absent-mindedly began stroking Fay's feathers as she continued to explain. "Unfortunately, Hermione and I can only offer you theories right now. We went back to the night that Voldemort attacked your family. For him to personally attack your house says that he had another purpose besides just killing you and your parents. We think that he was going to make his seventh horcrux with your death, and he did, just not in the way that he intended."

Harry continued to nod, though he was barely keeping up with what Luna was telling him.

Being able to pick up on when he was no longer following, Hermione came to his rescue. "Simply put, Luna and I are fairly sure that there are only three left. But, we have no idea what they could be. We sent Hedwig with a note to Ragnok informing him of what we've found and he responded that he would put Zux on the case because Zux is the expert in tracing dark magic."

"Will we see Master Zux soon?" Harry asked hopefully.

Hermione shrugged sadly. "I'm sorry, Harry," she said sincerely. "But you know that Zux doesn't stay in one place too long. I hope that you'll be able to see him soon, but Ragnok said that Zux doesn't like to leave a mission unfinished."

"No, he doesn't," Harry admitted.

Suppressing a groan as his still stiff muscles contracted, Harry stood up and stretched. "I'll be right back to help you guys with research, but if it's alright I would like to talk to my parents' portrait for a little while."

Hermione nodded knowingly. "Take all the time you need. I'll be here."

* * *

Before they knew it, the time had finally come right before the end of term. The forest informed Neville of another meeting and Neville picked up on the information that the forest didn't understand.

"Tomorrow," Neville sighed warily. "They're going to attack tomorrow."

Harry frowned. "Why on a Saturday? Is there something special about tomorrow?"

Neville shook his head. "Malfoy didn't talk about it. It's pretty ballsy though. They're going to attack when Dumbledore and all the professors are here."

"Unless they plan to overrun them," Luna, the strategist, put in. "It's most likely that there are Death Eaters among the students so it would be simple for them to slip by the professors in the panic and take out the target."

"Which could very likely be me," Harry said dryly. "Alright then, let's go through the castle one last time to check our rat traps."

They all nodded in agreement and separated to check on different parts of the castle. After they put the power-draining runes on the cabinet, they had set subtle traps all throughout the castle. Most of their traps were meant to minimize the students' exposure to the actual fight while some of them were actually a bit more complicated.

Hermione and Harry visited very specific traps through the castle to make sure that they were fully functional. It was Harry's idea to ask Ragnok for the goblins' assistance in the fight and after he had gotten the okay from King Zesd, they started putting goblin traps that most wizards knew nothing about.

They were inspecting a goblin version of a portkey when Harry pulled Hermione into a hidden corner. Taking their cue, Kex and Ivy stepped away to give their partners a moment of privacy.

With the same intensity that he used whenever he worried for Hermione, Harry pressed his lips against hers in a desperate kiss. They kissed in the privacy of the corner for almost a minute when the air was gone from their lungs and they had to resurface. Instead, Harry pulled Hermione into an embrace and pressed his face in his hair while Hermione rested her head in the crook of his neck.

"It's really happening," Hermione whispered. "This isn't going to be small like the Hogsmeade attack. We don't even know if Voldemort himself is coming."

Harry tightened his grip on Hermione. "Whatever happens tomorrow Hermione, just know that I love you so much and I will give my life before I let any of them hurt you."

Hermione chuckled sadly. "Harry, after all this time, don't you realize that I would do the exact same thing for you? You say that you can't live without me, but Harry, I cannot live without you either. So, the sensible solution is that neither of us gets hurt."

"I love you, Hermione," Harry whispered.

"I love you too, Harry."

They held each other for another moment before they gathered their familiars and continued to check the traps. When the goblin-made traps were checked, they went down to the kitchens so that Hermione could talk to the house-elves.

After Hermione had recovered from her kidnapping, she had gone to the kitchens to talk to the elves. Because she was their 'champion' they served her to a degree so long as it didn't conflict with Dumbledore's orders.

The elves greeted her happily and Hermione knelt down to hug some of them. They talked animatedly for a minute until Hermione stood back up and smiled down at them.

"Do you all remember what we told you about an attack?" she asked them.

"Yes, Miss Hermione," the elves chorused back.

"Well, that attack is happening tomorrow," Hermione said gravely. "So, when you receive the signal you need to follow through with your part of the plan that Luna explained to you."

The elves nodded determinedly. After the goblins had been involved, Luna had suggested involving the house elves as well. Non-surprisingly, the elves had eagerly agreed to defend their home and with their ability to apparate within Hogwarts would be invaluable.

The oldest house elf in Hogwarts, Lefty, stepped forward and bowed to Hermione. "Miss Hermione," he croaked. "We will all be prepared for tomorrow. Our eldest and youngest shall remain in our housing, but the rest of us will fight with you."

The elves cheered and Hermione hastily wiped away a tear. "Just please," she begged, "be safe."

After everything was checked over and deemed in working condition for the next day, they all met at Goldengaze's office. The griffin with a human mask had sighed warily when he saw their grave faces, knowing that it meant only one thing.

"I will fight as well," he said solemnly. "Although griffins do not usually fight in human affairs, I have been given the duty of protecting you and so I shall."

"Will you fight in your true form?" Neville asked in interest.

Goldengaze thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I hope to return next term as your DADA teacher in order to keep an eye on you. This cannot be done if my true form is revealed."

Luna looked at Goldengaze worriedly. "But, aren't your powers restricted in this form?"

Their professor stretched his human limbs. "I got this position regardless of whether or not my powers are limited in this disguise. Do not fear for me, dear Luna, I will be fine."

* * *

That night, none of them wanted to be apart from each other. They slept in the living room together. Harry held Hermione while Neville held Luna. The familiars were all cuddled together against Sage's larger frame. Even Dobby and Winky joined them, having been with the group since the beginning. Winky sniffed quietly at the thought of her beloved masters and mistresses being harmed and Dobby would lovingly comfort her.

They didn't get too much sleep that night. When the sun finally rose, they all got in their dragonhide armor which they glamoured to look like regular school robes. They grabbed their weapons and disillusioned them so that they wouldn't be noticed. Their more powerful wands were kept in their wand holsters which were kept on their wrists where they would be hidden. Everything was prepared, but they couldn't help but wonder if they were ready themselves.

Hermione was irritated that the attack was scheduled on the last day of exams, but she knew that she had no control over when it was going to happen.

After their exams were finished, they went to wait by the lake for the first swarm of Death Eaters to arrive.

"Shame that they would attack today," Hermione mused as she laid her head in Harry's lap. "So many students will be celebrating the end of term."

Harry nodded and continued to stroke Hermione's hair. "But, it's also when the teachers are most distracted. They're spread out and won't be able to take on the attack head on."

Luna, from her spot leaning against Neville, sharpened her Chinese sword-breaker. "It's a better strategy than attacking at night. The teachers' quarters are close to the room of requirement and they would be able to respond quickly to an assault."

"I wonder if the Slytherins are gleefully waiting in their dorm," Neville said sourly. "Slytherins are cowards."

"Hey," Hermione protested.

That earned a dry laugh from the group. "You're the only Slytherin that I like, Hermione," Neville laughed.

Their moment was ruined when Winky apparated in front of them with a worried expression on her face.

"The cabinet alarm runes have activated," she said anxiously. "They are coming."

Immediately, they were all on their feet with their illegal wands in their hands. "Winky, go inform the kitchen elves and then go the Black prison to tell the elves that it's time," Harry ordered.

Winky bowed and looked at them all tearfully. "Please be safe," she begged and then she apparated away.

The Spiritual Heirs of Hogwarts turned towards the castle and stood there for a moment. This was the biggest thing that any of them had ever faced, and they only prayed that they would all walk away from this fight.

"Let's do this," Harry said coldly.

And then they all apparated to the castle, where someone they held dear would never leave again…alive.

* * *

**A/N- Yes, someone will die in this fight. I'm going on a little vacation to see family and then I start student teaching right after so I don't know when I'll get the next chapter posted. Review, I would love to break the 2,000 review mark with this story. -Phoenix**


	31. Battle Begun

**A/N- I know that some people are irritated that I haven't updated this story in a while even though I have been updating another story. This is because I wanted to take my time with this chapter. The story is almost over and I wanted to do a good job on this chapter. Review! –Phoenix**

* * *

Things were set in motion the second that they apparated in Hogwarts. Sparing only a moment to hug each other, they separated to different areas of the castle.

Harry went to join the goblins in the main corridor where Luna predicted that the Death Eaters would first strike. Neville went with him as they were the more powerful two of the four.

Hermione went to do student control. The runes that she had placed to minimize student involvement were useless with the students roaming the halls, but luckily Luna had planned for that. The house elves were currently apparating any students that they found to their dorms while Hermione locked down the dorm rooms to prevent anyone from leaving or entering.

While this was all going on, Luna body merged with Fay and they flew up to Dumbledore's office. When they determined that the coast was clear, they separated and Luna locked down Dumbledore's office as was her right as Ravenclaw's Spiritual Heir. The office was the safest place for Luna because she was the one giving out the commands. Armed with the Marauder's Map and Hermione's new adaptation on the charmed galleons, she was prepared to plan and give orders.

Harry paced back and forth in the main corridor with Kex on his shoulder. He was anxious for the battle to start and he feared deeply for the losses that they would inevitably face.

"_Harry, don't torture yourself_," Kex said wisely. "_This is what we've been training for_."

"But we're bound to be outnumbered," Harry whispered back. "It's just our group, three squads of goblin warriors, and the fittest house elves."

"_Would you feel better if Master Zux was here?"_ Kex asked.

Harry hesitated a moment before nodding. "He's the experienced warrior who should be in charge," he said softly.

"_You're the Heir of Godric Gryffindor_," Kex pointed out. "_You were meant to lead us to victory_."

"Luna is really the one leading us."

Kex dug his claws into Harry's shoulder. "_Enough with the pity party_," he snapped. "_Luna is the strategist, but __**you**__ are the leader. A leader is the first to charge and the last to leave the battlefield. You are our leader Harry, now act like it_."

The words, though harsh, were exactly what Harry needed to hear. He scratched Kex's chin gratefully and turned to face the goblins whom he was leading.

"Hello," Harry said in a strong voice. "I am Harry Potter, also known as Lord Potter-Black and Spiritual Heir of Godric Gryffindor. My goblin name is Lightscar and I have been trained by Zux Greatkiller. If you will grant me your strength and courage, then I will lead us to victory. May our blades pierce our enemies' hearts and our hearts overflow with honor!"

The goblins took up the cheer and raised their blades with a shout. Their moment was ruined when the last person that Harry wanted to hear interrupted them.

"Harry, what is the meaning of this!" an angry Dumbledore said from behind them.

Suppressing a sigh, Harry turned around and glared at Dumbledore. "Death Eaters are invading the castle; I don't have time for your crap."

Dumbledore's blue eyes narrowed in anger, but it was quickly gone. "My boy I assure you, Hogwarts is not under attack. Now, I must insist that you have your goblins leave."

Behind him, the goblins bristled in fury. "They are not my goblins," Harry corrected icily. "They are magical beings themselves who have hearts and minds of their own that cannot be owned. They are however, my comrades in arms and I will not allow you to insult them!"

"They are lower life forms who are in my castle!" Dumbledore shouted back, momentarily losing composure.

It took all of Harry's restraint to shout that it wasn't his castle, but he wasn't ready to let his identity as Godric's Heir out just yet.

Luckily, Harry didn't need to defend the fact that they were under attack and waste time any longer. Before Dumbledore could make another demand, a silver patronus in the shape of a tabby cat glided through the walls and stopped in front of Dumbledore.

"Albus," the cat spoke with McGonagall's voice. "The alarm wards have activated, the castle is under attack. But, I do not know where the Death Eaters are coming from. What are your orders?"

Dumbledore gaped at the patronus which vanished in thin air. Then he whirred back to Harry, his eyes sparkling in anger.

"How did you know that the castle was under attack?" he demanded.

"I have my sources," Harry said vaguely. "Now, if you want to go elsewhere, we have this corridor covered."

Behind him, Neville snickered at the sight of Harry basically telling the Headmaster of Hogwarts to beat it. Harry looked over his shoulder and grinned at his best friend before turning back to Dumbledore.

"I must insist that you return to your dorm and let the Order handle this," Dumbledore said sternly. "You are too precious to lose."

"And why is that? Because of your prophecy? I know that the prophecy that you shared with me is bull, and I won't allow you to order me around," Harry spat. "Now, do something useful and go defend the students whom you are responsible for!"

For a moment, Harry and Dumbledore stared each other down until Dumbledore finally had to relent and turned around to start making his way to another part of the castle. As soon as Dumbledore was gone, Harry felt a weight lift and it made the upcoming battle seem that much easier.

The gallon around his neck grew hot and snapped Harry out of his momentary daze. He pressed it and turned to Neville who had activated his.

"We hear you Luna," Harry said out loud.

In his ear, where a small ear com that Hermione had made to co-exist with the galleons, was stuck, he heard Luna's voice as clearly as if she were right in front of him.

"The Death Eaters are leaving the seventh corridor and are splitting off into three segments," Luna said. "The largest segment is heading straight for your party, Harry. The other two are heading towards the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers respectively."

"They want to terrorize the students," Hermione said distastefully in the coms.

"Huh," Luna said in confusion.

Neville was instantly on alert. "What's wrong Love?" he asked.

Luna clicked her tongue in thought. "Dumbledore has gone towards the Astronomy Tower instead of meeting with the other professors and the Order. What's really weird though is that Snape and Malfoy are heading right towards him."

"Are there any more Death Eaters emerging from the room?" Harry asked.

"I haven't seen any more in a couple of minutes," Luna responded. "But, I want to wait another couple before we activate the first wave of traps."

"Are the students out of the way?" Neville asked.

There was a moment of silence from both Hermione and Luna. "I don't see any more students," Luna finally said. "Hermione, activate the security on the houses."

"What about Death Eater students?" Harry asked.

"They won't be able to get out of the dorms," Hermione answered.

"You got all except Malfoy," Luna continued. "But, I want to know why he is going after Dumbledore with Snape. Hermione, you go the Astronomy Tower and eavesdrop."

"On my way," Hermione answered.

"Be careful," Harry said.

"I will," and Hermione's com went dead.

Harry sighed and stretched his arms. "Luna, what's the ETA on the large group?"

"At the rate they're moving, less than two minutes," Luna answered. "I'll keep you posted on any changes."

"I love you," Neville said right before they turned off their coms.

"I love you too," Luna said warmly. "Be safe."

They all turned off their coms and Harry and Neville looked at each other.

"I love Hermione, but mate, you're the one who I would want by my side in battle," Harry said.

Neville nodded. "Same here."

They gave each other a brief hug before breaking apart. "Kex and Sage, I want you two to keep low and take out the stragglers," Harry instructed. "Leave the heavy hitters to us."

Kex and Sage nodded and went to the sides of the hall where they stayed out of sight.

Harry and Neville held out their illegal wands and got into battle stances with the goblin squads prepared behind them.

The first curse came at them from the oncoming wave of Death Eaters. The battle had begun.

* * *

Hermione silently climbed the stairs of the Astronomy tower in Ivy's body. They both knew the importance of knowing what Dumbledore was up to, but they were both irritated that Luna's strategy involved taking them away from the battle.

When Ivy reached the top of the tower, she silently moved to the corner and crouched down low.

"_They should be here shortly_," Ivy said through their bond.

"_We can maintain the merge for fifteen minutes without it draining our power too much_," Hermione reminded her. "_Let's find out what they're doing and then leave immediately to inform Luna_."

They didn't have to wait for long. Dumbledore reached the top of the tower and walked to the center. Then, he waited. Shortly after, Snape came walking briskly up the stairs with his cloak gliding behind him.

"How could you not know of this attack?" Dumbledore demanded. "I have swarms of Death Eaters in my castle and I have a large number of children whose safety I am responsible for!"

Snape did not cower before Dumbledore's rage. "It seems that the Dark Lord did not trust me with this information. But, I can tell you that there is a target for this attack."

"And who would that be?" Dumbledore sneered.

"Expelliarmus!" a shout came from the stairwell.

Hermione/Ivy rolled their eyes at the weak hex that was sent towards the powerful headmaster. Dumbledore deflected the hex effortlessly and he smiled towards the direction of his attacker.

"Mister Malfoy," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "You will need to try harder than that to kill me. Your attempts this past year have been poor indeed."

"_Malfoy has been trying to kill Dumbledore_?" Hermione wondered. "_It must have been kept quiet. I can't believe that we didn't notice_."

Malfoy walked up from the stairs, with his wand trembling in front of him. "I have to k-kill you," he stuttered. "If I don't, then the Dark Lord will kill me."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Mister Malfoy, you cannot honestly believe that you have any chance of beating me. Your magical abilities are so poor that I almost thought that you were a squib."

Malfoy's pale skin reddened in anger. "Avada Kedavra!" he shouted.

Dumbledore laughed out loud and summoned a piece of stone from the tower to intercept it. "Yet another poor attempt," he taunted.

While Malfoy continued to cast the killing curse at Dumbledore, Snape watched on with an indifferent look on his face.

"Headmaster," he said after Malfoy's fourth failed attempt. "I do have an Unbreakable Vow with his mother to protect him at the best of my ability."

Dumbledore sighed in annoyance and quickly sent a stunner towards Malfoy. The Slytherin didn't even have the chance to dodge it as it collided with his chest and sent him crumpling to the floor.

"Alright then Severus," Dumbledore said in an irritated tone. "Fight me to protect him to the best of your ability. Then, I shall dispose of the annoyance and return to the fight to save the castle."

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew that Dumbledore was not as good as he appeared to the outside world, but she still couldn't believe that he would just condemn Malfoy to death just like that.

"_I can't just sit by and let Dumbledore murder someone, even if it's Malfoy_," Hermione said to Ivy.

"_Would you risk our skins for Malfoy_?" Ivy asked curiously.

Hermione groaned. "_I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes. But, he will have to go to the Black Prison. He has already cast the killing curse four times in the past two minutes. There's no saying if he'll cast it again."_

While Hermione and Ivy conversed for a moment, Dumbledore and Snape started their 'duel'.

Snape started by making a slashing motion with his wand while shouting, "Sectumsempra!"

Dumbledore quickly raised his wand. "Protego," he said calmly.

The curse couldn't penetrate Dumbledore's shield. The two powerful wizards continued dueling for five minutes, with Dumbledore foiling Snape at every turn. Hermione could tell that Snape was trying his hardest while Dumbledore appeared bored.

"_Dumbledore is way out of my league_," Hermione said to Ivy. "_I won't be able to defeat him to save Malfoy_."

Ivy stayed silent for a moment. "_Let's get Malfoy out of the way now then while Dumbledore is distracted. I'll cast a disillusion charm on myself_."

"_Alright_," Hermione agreed.

The fox familiar closed her eyes in concentration and let the charm flow over her body, making her blend in with her surroundings. When she was confident that Dumbledore and Snape wouldn't be able to see her, she quietly crept over towards the stairs where Malfoy laid unconscious.

Hermione scoffed in disgust when they reached Malfoy only to discover that he had literally peed his pants when facing Dumbledore.

"_I always knew that he talked a bigger game_," she said to Ivy.

"_Let's get him out of here_," Ivy said back. "_My nose is starting to burn_."

Ivy put her paw on Malfoy's forehead and cast a weak feather-light charm. With the unconscious Slytherin lighter, she grabbed the scruff of his robes in her strong jaws and started dragging him as quietly as she could. She dragged him further down the stairs with relatively little difficulty as she wasn't trying to minimize Malfoy's injuries on the stairs. Upstairs, Dumbledore and Snape continued their duel.

When they were out of sight, Hermione canceled the body-merge and grabbed put one of the Black Prison portkeys around his neck. When the portkey was around his neck, it glowed red and cut off all of Malfoy's magic before it took him away to the prison. With Malfoy gone, Hermione body-merged with Ivy again and they went back to watch Dumbledore and Snape duel.

Dumbledore had disarmed Snape and had placed a leg-locking curse on him. But, Snape was smiling in his cruel way.

"I dueled my hardest," he laughed coldly. "Now I cannot be killed by the Unbreakable Vow. I shall tell the Dark Lord that you killed poor, young Draco. The other Death Eaters will try and take Potter from the castle so that the Dark Lord may finally kill him."

"And I shall come in at the last second to save Mister Potter," Dumbledore said with a nod. "Then he shall finally realize that I have his best interests in mind and he shall obey me."

Snape sneered. "Potter is not worth the effort," he spat. "But, the castle is under attack and I wouldn't be surprised if the Dark Lord sent his best Death Eaters here to do as much damage as possible."

"Then I shall get rid of Mister Malfoy so that I may save the castle," Dumbledore said just as coolly. He turned back to where he had stunned Malfoy and he scowled when he saw that the pale nuisance was no longer there. "Where is he?" he demanded. "He needs to be killed for the greater good."

Snape looked around and his eyes narrowed when he too saw that Malfoy was gone. "He was stunned, he couldn't have gone anywhere without help."

Dumbledore raised his wand and waved it in a horizontal arc. "Homenum Revelio," he said.

Hermione/Ivy held their breath as the spell was cast. They waited a moment and released their breath when the spell came up with nothing.

"There are no humans here," he informed Snape. "But, that doesn't mean that there is no one here at all." He summoned Snape towards him before waving his wand above his head like a lasso. Hermione/Ivy stood in horror as flames were conjured from the wand and began filling the small room with fire.

"_Run Ivy_!" Hermione screamed.

Ivy didn't need to be told twice. She turned to run, but the flames were too quick. Ivy barked out in pain when her pelt caught fire, giving away their location.

"Sectumsempra!" Dumbledore shouted, pointing his wand in their direction.

At the last second, Ivy dodged, but the spell still cut into her back leg. Unable to walk, she collapsed on the floor.

"Use the portkey!" Hermione shouted in pain.

Ivy panted and activated her portkey. When the uncomfortable pulling sensation was over, they found themselves on the floor in Potter Manor. At the hard contact with the stone floor, Hermione lost her hold on the body-merge and separated from Ivy.

"Mistress Hermione!" Winky's terrified voice came from the other side of the room.

"I'm fine," Hermione said immediately as she rubbed her sore leg. "Tend to Ivy, she's hurt. I have to go back."

Ivy whimpered as she struggled to sit up. "Be careful," she panted.

Hermione gave Ivy a quick kiss on the head before apparating back to Hogwarts. As soon as she landed on the grounds right outside, she felt her galleon around her neck get hot.

"I'm fine," she said as soon as she turned it on. "They're going to try and take Harry and Dumbledore plans on coming in to save him at the last second. Dumbledore tried to kill Malfoy, but I sent Malfoy to the prison before he had the chance. Ivy got burned and cut by Dumbledore and we went to Potter Manor to get to safety," she finished in a rush.

"You've been busy," Luna commented with dry humor. "Harry and Neville are still fighting the largest swarm of Death Eaters, Bellatrix is among them. But, what really has me worried is that there is a small party of Death Eaters who weren't caught in the goblin traps are heading towards Harry's and Neville's backs."

Hermione immediately began running towards the other side of the main corridor where Harry and Neville were fighting. "How many?" she asked.

"Three," Luna answered. "But their magic should be pretty weak by now."

"Are the numbers dwindling?" Hermione asked.

It took Luna only a moment to assess. "At least a third of the force has either been sent to the prison or killed," Luna informed her. "Most of the remaining forces are currently fighting Harry and Neville, and the remaining Death Eaters are either caught in our traps or they're being taken out by the staff and the few Order members who are here."

Hermione ran up the stairs, not willing to stop until she took down the threats. "Keep an eye out for Dumbledore," she told Luna. "I wouldn't put it past him to attack one of us when our backs are turned."

"Will do, be safe," and then Luna was gone.

It took Hermione less than two minutes to make it to the corridor where she would be able to intercept the party that was planning on attacking their main party from behind. She took her bow off of her back and pulled an arrow from the quiver.

She heard them before she saw them. They were complaining about the house elves striking out at them and about how the goblin traps incapacitated a large portion of their numbers. As soon as the first Death Eater stepped around the corner, she let her arrow fly.

The arrow flew true and struck the Death Eater in the eye, killing him before he even hit the ground. Immediately, there were spells cast in her direction, but Hermione gracefully dodged them. She dodged the killing curse and put another arrow to her bow when she saw who her attackers were.

Staring at her in pure fury were the two last Death Eaters that Hermione wanted to face. Lucius Malfoy and Antonin Dolohov.

* * *

**A/N- Ahh, Dumbledore is really not a good guy. I'm taking my time with these last few chapters to make sure that I'm perfectly happy with them. The death is yet to come! Review! -Phoenix**


	32. Battle Continued

**A/N- Thanks someone for reminding me about my senses dimming traps! There are so many detains that sometimes it's hard to remember them all. All of the spells that I used in this battle I got off of the Harry Potter Wiki. Review! –Phoenix**

* * *

"Bugger," Hermione groaned as she saw the two Death Eaters whom she was facing.

At the end of the hall, Lucius and Dolohov sneered at her.

"Little mudblood," Lucius said coldly. "Are you here to die at our superior hands?"

When they started making their way forward, Hermione noted with grim satisfaction that they were squinting slightly.

_The senses dimming wards are working, just slower than we expected,_ she thought. _Their magic should also be dimming by now thanks to some of our traps._

"There will be deaths today," Hermione said just as coldly. "But I won't be one of them. I never got the chance to repay you, Dolohov, for cursing me at the Department of Mysteries. And I owe you, Malfoy, for leading the attack that killed my family."

The Death Eaters laughed at her and began firing more killing curses at her. One curse came too close for comfort, within one foot, causing Hermione to decide to go on the offensive.

After doing a dodge roll to avoid another curse, she loosed another arrow from her bow. This one lodged itself in Dolohov's leg, causing him to curse in pain and drop to the floor.

While Dolohov was temporarily out of commission, Hermione put her bow back on its strap on her back and drew her illegal wand.

"Aqua Eructo!" she called as she pointed her wand at Malfoy Sr.

Out of her wand came a jet of clear water and blasted at powerful speeds towards Malfoy. Malfoy raised his wand and shouted, "Protego!" but Hermione moved her wand, making the jet of water go around the shield and blast him from behind.

The blonde cursed as the strong jet of water pushed him to the floor. When he raised his head, blood was pouring from his nose. He put his hand to it to wipe it away, glaring daggers at Hermione.

"You mudblood filth," he spat. "You will pay for spilling blood as pure as ours. Crucio!"

Hermione ducked the curse and pointed her wand at the floor in front of Lucius. "Confringo!"

The blasting hex caused the stones to explode and the area to erupt in flames. Lucius yelled when his robes caught fire.

"Aguamenti!" he shouted as he used his wand to douse the flames.

While Hermione was focusing on Lucius, Dolohov struggled to his feet and pointed his wand at Hermione. "Defodio!"

Hermione didn't see the gouging spell until too late. At the last second, she moved to the side, but the spell still grazed her side, making a small gouge in her skin.

"Bloody hell," Hermione hissed in pain as she staggered to the banister and used it to support her weight.

"Avada Ke-!" Dolohov started casting.

"Flippendo!" Hermione shouted quicker than Dolohov. The spell sent Dolohov flying backwards. Then Hermione pointed her wand towards Lucius and shouted, "Furnunculus!"

Lucius shouted in agony as his body began covering in painful looking boils. The pain caused him to drop his wand and begin ripping off some of his robes to avoid having the boils get any more painful.

While the two Death Eaters were busy, Hermione pointed her wand to her injured side and muttered, "Vulnera Sanenfur." Her wand, ever so eager to do healing magic, quickly stopped the bleeding and healed the worst of the damage.

_The power and senses draining aren't working fast enough_, Hermione thought as she grabbed her bow back off her back. _I can't afford to try to incapacitate these two. I'll have to kill them_.

Even though Hermione despised the thought of killing, and had done it only once so far, she knew that killing was necessary in war. But that didn't make it any easier for her.

_If I survive this war, I'm going to become a Healer_, she promised herself as she put another arrow to her bow.

Lucius glared at Hermione and picked his wand back up. "Incarcerous!" he shouted.

Ropes were conjured from his wand. They tied up Hermione's legs, but not before she loosed her arrow. Grim satisfaction filled her when the arrow went right through Antonin Dolohov's throat. The Death Eater whose curse had been the cause of many of her nightmares for so long would never curse anyone else ever again.

"You bitch," Lucius snarled as Dolohov fell. "Defodio! Crucio!"

The first curse gouged right through Hermione's bow, rendering it useless. The second one hit her full on. Hermione cried out as she was hit with the torture curse. Her body convulsed, making the ropes around her legs tighten even more.

"Expelliarmus!" Lucius shouted, causing her wand to go flying from her hand. As soon as her wand was clear, he began torturing her once again.

"How does it feel mudblood?" he taunted. "How does it feel to lie at a pureblood's feet where you belong? I hope that Potter had his fun with you, because you will never see him again."

Hermione continued to cry out in pain, only able to hear half of what Lucius was saying. She tried to reach for her other wand, but it was in her leg holster and she couldn't reach it due to the ropes. Her bow was now useless, and by extension her arrows.

_I can't die here_, she thought as her body continued to spasm. _The prophecy must be fulfilled_!

"_Use your true magic my dear_," a soft voice said out of nowhere.

Somehow, the presence of the voice took away the edge of pain from the torture curse. Even though her body still convulsed, Hermione's mind was clear from the pain.

"Who are you?" Hermione whispered.

The voice laughed, and Hermione then deducted that Lucius couldn't hear it. "_I am a woman who is trying to help a child in pain_," she answered. "_You are not ready to die yet my dear, for we have yet to formally meet_."

Lucius continued to cast the spell as he laughed gleefully.

"What is my true magic?" Hermione asked.

"_You know what your true magic is, Spiritual Heir of Salazar Slytherin_."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Elf magic," she gasped. "You can't be talking about Hogwarts's magic, because I haven't finished my elf training."

"_I have heard that you were a smart one_," the voice laughed. "_You must defeat your enemy and win this battle. When you have won and your wounds have healed, we will come for you to study with us_."

"You're a true elf."

The true elf's voice was full of laughter. "_That I am. Win your battle young one, and I will come for you. But, don't forget that while incomplete, you still have knowledge of elf magic_." And then the voice was gone.

With the elf's presence gone, Hermione was fully susceptible to the curse once again. The shock of the pain coming back caused Hermione to bite through her lip, and the spasms opened her side wound back up.

"You aren't going to kill me," she panted. She held her hand out and grinned at the head of the Malfoy house, "This is for Dobby and every house elf that you ever hurt."

Lucius didn't even have time to patronize her. Hermione snapped her fingers and Lucius was sent flying, over the banister where there was nothing but air and a hundred foot drop to the stone floor below. The cries of the head of the House of Malfoy lasted briefly, and were silenced after a loud 'thud'.

Grimacing, Hermione used elf apparition to get out of the ropes and picked up both her wands. Only then did she look over the banister. She grimaced when she saw the mess of blood and robes and quickly turned away so she could empty the contents of her stomach. When she was no longer heaving, she pressed her charmed galleon.

"Are you alright?" Luna immediately demanded. "I saw that you were fighting Malfoy and Dolohov, I'm so sorry that I didn't realize who I was sending you to until it was too late."

Hermione coughed in pain and slid down against the wall. "I'll live," she panted. "We overestimated our traps, they still had most their senses and their power was still strong. I took out all three."

"What are your injuries?" Luna demanded.

"Side wound and exposure to the cruciatus. But, I'll be alright," Hermione said as she healed her side once again. "Where do you want me now?"

Luna hesitated for a moment. "Harry and Neville are holding their ground," she said at last. "They don't need your help. But it looks like the Order is struggling. They're being overrun by Death Eaters."

"Where?" Hermione asked as she picked up her bow and repaired it as best she could. It was goblin made and the magical repair would last three shots at best.

"The Great Hall has the most," Luna answered. "Can you do an overhead support?"

Hermione looked at her barely functioning bow with tears in her eyes. "No, my bow got broken. I have three shots at best. Do you want me to provide support as Beauty?"

"No," Luna said immediately. "This obviously isn't the final battle because you, Neville, and I have yet to finish our training. Save your form for then. Go and act as a silent aid."

"On my way. Merlin, I hope that this battle ends soon."

* * *

Harry continued to pant heavily as he cut down yet another Death Eater with a spell. He didn't know how so many people could follow Voldemort, but this swarm felt almost endless.

While he and Neville worked as the long-range fighters, the goblins took out their fair share of the enemy. They would gain up five to one wizard and quickly overpower them before moving onto the next one. There were bodies, both goblin and wizard, littering the large corridor, but there was no time to mourn the loss of comrades. Not in the middle of battle.

"Depulso!" Harry shouted as he pointed his wand at the Death Eater whom he was dueling.

The Death Eater shouted in surprise as he was banished back into the stone wall where he was speared by a goblin before he even slid back down to the floor.

"Potter!" Bellatrix's furious voice screeched across the battlefield. Harry ducked her killing curse out of instinct and retaliated with a severing jinx of his own which was blocked.

The Death Eaters cleared the way as Bellatrix made her way forward. Some of the goblin warriors moved forward to take her on, but Harry waved them back.

"Leave her to Neville and me," he told them. The goblins nodded and sprinted forward to take on the remaining Death Eaters.

Neville walked over to join Harry, a look of cold determination on his face. This was the time that he had been waiting for, the opportunity to take down his parents' torturer.

"Harry, let me take her," he said calmly. "This is my fight. I'll get revenge for Sirius and my parents."

Harry hesitated a moment before clapping Neville on the back. "Be careful mate," he cautioned. "Your magic is more powerful than hers, but she's like a wildfire that takes down everything in its path."

Neville nodded in understanding. "You help the rest of the goblin squad. But, if something happens to me, take care of Luna."

The two best friends then separated, Harry to rejoin the goblins and Neville to face the woman who had taken his parents away from him as a baby.

"Well, if it isn't baby Longbottom," Bellatrix taunted in her shrill voice. "Are you here to join your mummy and daddy in insanity?"

Despite his brief time with the centaurs, their teachings on how to handle anger were what stopped Neville from dashing out right away to dig his sword into Bellatrix's stomach.

"You won't hurt anyone anymore, Bellatrix," Neville said calmly. "I will make sure of that. Protago Totallum," he finished, creating a barrier that separated him and Bellatrix from the rest of the battle.

Bellatrix looked at Neville with her half-crazed gaze. "Are you capable of casting the killing curse little boy?"

Neville shook his head. "I cannot master enough hatred to cast that curse. But, I will end your life as mercifully as I possibly can."

"There is no mercy in death!" Bellatrix laughed.

"Then you really are far gone," Neville said coolly. "You are as evil as Voldemort and you cannot be allowed to live."

Bellatrix's dark eyes narrowed in anger. "You dare say the Dark Lord's name! I will kill you for your insolence, blood-traitor!"

Neville raised his wand. "Expelliarmus! Stupefy! Deprimo!" he shouted in succession.

"Protego!" Bellatrix shouted as she raised her wand.

The first two spells were absorbed by the shield, but the third had enough power to burst through. Bellatrix shrieked when the spell put a great deal of pressure on her and forced her to her knees.

"Duro!" Neville shouted.

Bellatrix pointed her wand at the closest life form, a fellow Death Eater, and shouted, "Mobilicorpus!"

The unsuspecting Death Eater cried out in shock as he was levitated from his battle with a goblin and was thrown in front of Neville's curse. He screamed in horror as the curse hit him and he was turned to stone. Bellatrix looked at her stone comrade with disdain and threw him against the hall where the statue broke into hundreds of pieces.

Neville stared at her in shock. "He was your comrade!" he shouted at his nemesis. "How could you throw away his life like that!"

Bellatrix shrugged. "He was only a lower-level Death Eater, expendable."

The Spiritual Heir of Helga Hufflepuff glared at his opponent. "The world will be rid of you tonight," he swore.

They then went into the most intense duel of Neville's life. Every time he shot a spell, it was countered, every time she shot a spell he dodged it. After five minutes of intense dueling, the smirk vanished from Bellatrix's face. She was a ruthless killer, but she never smirked in the face of a true opponent.

"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix shrieked.

Neville summoned a slab of stone to intercept the curse. When the rubble cleared, Neville waved his wand in an arc and cast an arrow-shooting spell.

"Protego!" Bellatrix screamed. Some of the arrows got caught in her shield while the others got absorbed by Neville's shield.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix shrieked when the arrows had faded.

Neville bit back a cry as the curse his him head on. It was only by a great act of will that he managed to stay upright.

_I won't let this monster kill me_, he vowed. _She won't take me away from Luna or my friends_.

With shaking hands, he unsheathed his sword and brought it up between the curse and himself. Because it was goblin-forged, it did not break under the force of Bellatrix's curse and prevented it from touching him.

"Reducto!" he shouted, pointing his wand right over Bellatrix's head.

The ceiling above Bellatrix's head crumbled and fell on top of the deranged witch. One rock collided right with her head, sending her to the ground.

"Expelliarmus," Neville said calmly, catching the wand that took so many lives in his hand.

Underneath the rubble, Bellatrix struggled to climb out to get to Neville.

"My Lord!" she screamed. "I will not shame your mark! Give me the strength to destroy this whelp where he stands!"

Neville watched her in disgust as she struggled in vain to get out from underneath the wreckage, screaming insults as she tried.

Deciding to finally end it, he walked up to her with his sword in one hand and his wand in his other. He stopped in front of her with cold eyes. When she looked back up he saw crazed fear in her eyes, like a rabid animal who knew that they were about to be put down.

In a mercy stroke, he took his sword and cut her throat and watched her quickly die on the cold floor. In one quick minute, the monster that was Bellatrix Lestrange was no more and Voldemort lost his most loyal servant.

"That's it," Neville said softly. The galleon around his neck warmed up and he quickly pressed it. "I'm alright Love," he said lovingly.

"Neville," Luna's panicked voice came from the other end.

"What's wrong?" Neville asked instantly.

Even though he wasn't an empath like Harry, he could still feel his beloved's fear.

"Dumbledore is heading for his office," Luna said fearfully. "Hogwarts will eventually admit him."

Neville used a quick spell to clean Bellatrix's blood off of his sword before sheathing it. "Can you find a different spot to use as command central?" he asked, trying to keep calm for Luna's sake.

"Nowhere else is as protected," Luna answered.

"Then move somewhere out of the castle where you will still be safe and have room to work," Neville ordered. "It will be okay, Luna, but you have to move now."

"Alright," Luna answered. "I love you."

"If you need me, summon me and I will be there," Neville promised. "But right now you need to leave there now."

"Okay," Luna said in a calmer voice. "I love you."

"I love you too," Neville said tenderly. Then the coms turned off. With a heavy sigh, Neville turned back towards the battle and smiled when he saw Sage restrain a Death Eater long enough for a goblin to kill him. He then canceled his shield and ran back into the fray, praying that his fiancé would be able to avoid Dumbledore safely.

* * *

In a rush, Luna packed up her supplies in the feather-light bag that she had brought with her. The Marauder's Map went in along with the charmed galleons that she had been using to stay in contact with her friends.

"Fay, let's go," she ordered.

"_Wait_," Fay's voice answered. She was inspecting an open book on the bookshelf and had found something of interest. Using her talons, she closed it and threw it towards Luna. "_Pack that, it's a book on Horcruxes and there's notes in it. Apparently Dumbledore has known about them for some time and hasn't shared that information_."

Luna immediately put the book in the bag. "Let's go."

They body-merged and were about to fly out the window with the bag in their talons when the door opened. Fay's sharp eyes widened in fear when they saw Albus Dumbledore entering his office with Fawkes on his shoulder.

Dumbledore's blue eyes sparked in anger when they recognized the falcon that was about to fly out of the window. "You're Lovegood's familiar!"

Before he could cast a spell, Fay leapt out of the window and started flying away as fast as her wings would take her. They didn't get far when a flash of red appeared right in front of them.

"_Fawkes_," Luna/Fay said out loud. "_What are you doing_?"

Fawkes looked at them regrettably. "_I am sorry_," he said in his musical voice. "_But I must follow the orders of Albus Dumbledore, and he has ordered that I kill you."_

Fear sent a shiver down their spine. "_You can't be serious_," Luna/Fay exclaimed. "_You know that Dumbledore is mad_!"

The phoenix hung his head sadly. "_I know that_," he admitted. "_But that doesn't change the fact that I must stay loyal to him and that includes following his commands. Please forgive me_."

He lashed out with his talons and it was only Fay's quick reflexes that saved them from being sliced in half. With a screech, Fay raced away with Fawkes right behind.

While a phoenix is a truly majestic creature, they weren't built for flying at fast speeds like falcons are. Fay dove, swerved and climbed, at a faster speed than Fawkes, but whenever she got too far ahead, Fawkes would simply vanish and reappear in a burst of flame right in their path.

"_We can't dodge him forever_," Luna told Fay. "_Use your portkey to get us back to Potter Manor and then we'll come back without a phoenix trying to cut us into shreds_."

Before Fay could activate her portkey, Fawkes appeared right in front of her path and brought his talons across her chest. Fay screeched in agony as the talons cut deep and lost her control on flight. Unable to glide, and in too much pain to activate her portkey, Fay started falling from a terrible height, to the unmerciful cliffs below.

* * *

A/N- I'm trying to finish this story so that I can start work on the sequel. Review please, it's so close to breaking the 2,000 review mark! -Phoenix


	33. Battle Concluded

**A/N- Yes! Thank you all for helping me hit the 2,000 review mark! People are a little confused as to why I had Fawkes, a creature of light, try to kill Luna and Fay. It will be made clear eventually. And though gory, in older times slitting someone's throat was considered a mercy killing because it was a quick death. I know that I'm the Queen of Cliffhangers so thank you all for sticking with my story. Review! –Phoenix**

* * *

Luna/Fay screeched in fear and pain as they continued to fall down towards the cliffs surrounding Hogwarts.

"_Portkey, Fay_," Luna urged her friend.

But, the cuts were too deep and Fay's pain was too great to heed what Luna was saying. The cliffs were getting closer, and if they didn't do something soon they would not survive.

"_Se…pa…rate_," Fay groaned as they continued to fall.

"_I won't leave you_," Luna said firmly.

"_Mu…st_," Fay urged weakly. "_Li…ve…f-for…Ne-Neville_."

"_Give me control_," Luna said suddenly. "_I'll take most of the pain_."

Though weak, Fay was firmly against the idea. "_You're too important_," she said. With sudden strength, she pushed Luna back out of her mind, until there was a 'crack' and there were two bodies falling.

Luna screamed as she fell faster, but her mind was clear from the pain. She quickly looked up and saw that Fay was still falling and appeared to be unconscious.

"Fay!" she cried as she reached for her.

She created a ball of light in her hand using her limited fairy magic, and threw it over to Fay. When it made contact, Fay got suspended in midair and started gliding towards the ground at a much slower pace.

_Neville_, Luna thought with tears in her eyes as the rocks got closer. _I'm so sorry. I love you_.

When the rocks were within thirty feet, she closed her eyes and waited for the brief moment of pain followed by nothing.

There was a sound of wings beating followed by a screech. Luna felt the wind blow around her as something came at her at incredible speeds before she felt something grab onto her shoulders with sharp talons.

She winced as the talons cut into her skin and opened her eyes and looked up at her savior.

"Goldengaze," she gasped. "Save Fay!"

The great griffin turned his golden eyes further up and quickly sped forward to catch the unconscious falcon in his other paw.

"She is gravely injured," he said in his deep voice. He hoisted Luna on his back before handing her, her beloved familiar and flew towards some even ground. When he landed, he knelt down on the ground and helped Luna get down. "Tell me what happened to you," he ordered.

Luna sat down on the ground shakily and began applying basic healing spells to Fay, in hopes of stopping the bleeding. "Dumbledore came back to his office," she sniffed. "He saw Fay and sent Fawkes after us to kill us. I don't know where Fawkes is now."

Goldengaze looked very troubled at this. "For a phoenix to be ordered to kill, then their wizard's influence must be very great. Did Fawkes show remorse?"

"Yes," Luna answered. Fay stopped bleeding, but her breaths were too quick and shallow and she still hadn't regained consciousness.

"Then Dumbledore's influence hasn't completely overcome him," Goldengaze said with a sigh. "Dumbledore honestly thinks that everything he does is for the Light. And soon, Fawkes will think that murder for the 'Light' will be acceptable too."

Luna was only partially hearing what Goldengaze was saying, she was too busy tending to her familiar. "She needs to go back to Potter Manor," she said. "Winky can tend to her better than I can."

"Go quickly then and then return," Goldengaze instructed gently. "I will take you somewhere safe for your planning."

"Thank you," Luna said softly. She touched her portkey and arrived back at Potter Manor. After giving Fay a comforting hug and a few words of love, she passed her to Winky and used her portkey to arrive back where Goldengaze was waiting. "Let's go," she said as she wiped her eyes free of tears.

Goldengaze crouched down so Luna could climb onto his back again before beating his massive wings and flew over the castle.

"How did you find me?" Luna asked over the wind.

"I am your keeper," Goldengaze answered. "I sensed that Ravenclaw's magic was in danger and I went to aid you. Unfortunately, I had to reveal my true form to the Order and Death Eaters in order to get to you in time. But, it was a price that I was happy to pay."

Luna hugged him gratefully. "What are the casualties so far?" she asked.

Goldengaze turned and began flying between the towers of Hogwarts. "I saw a young man with red hair get attacked by a werewolf in human form. And I saw many stunned Death Eaters vanish so I am assuming that Hermione secretly sent them to Black prison before they could be revived."

They landed on the Dark Tower which was outside of the vicinity of the battle and secure enough so Luna would be safe.

Luna got off of Goldengaze's back and gave him another hug. "Thank you, Goldengaze. Give me a moment to see where you're needed the most."

Digging into the bag which Fay had miraculously held onto, she pulled out the Map and quickly activated it. It took her a few moments to assess the battle and decide where to send him to.

"Harry and Neville need more help," she decided. "Most of the goblin force has been taken out and now Harry and Neville are outnumbered."

Goldengaze nodded and shook out his wings. "Well, since I have already been seen as a griffin, I may as well fight to the best of my abilities."

Luna nodded. "Will you be able to maneuver in the corridor?" she asked.

"It will be challenging," Goldengaze admitted. "But, that's what life is. Now, will you be alright on your own, dear Luna?"

"I may be more of a strategist than a fighter, but I can still take care of myself," Luna said with a smile.

Goldengaze laughed and nuzzled Luna affectionately. "You are more of a warrior than you give yourself credit for. Be safe, dear one. Don't tell the others this, but you are my favorite Heir. Your kindness and ability to believe make me feel young again. I have expressed this with Willowsong, and she agrees that when our daughter is of age, she will be named Robinsky. Because your heart knows no bounds, and is as free as the sky."

"Goldengaze," Luna said, touched.

"Farewell," he said with one last nuzzle.

The griffin then spread his powerful wings and leapt off of the tower. Luna watched him fly away towards the battle before setting up protective wards and setting up her station. She could only pray that the battle would end soon.

* * *

Hermione clung to the sides of the Great Hall, disillusioned, as she shot stunners at any Death Eaters who were overpowering the teachers or the Order members. Whenever one fell, their opponent would simply move onto the next Death Eater without too much thought, allowing Hermione time to put a portkey around the fallen Death Eater, sending them to the Black prison.

The Order members and teachers only stunned the Death Eaters and it made Hermione roll her eyes in annoyance. Every time one was stunned, they were revived within twenty seconds.

_Dumbledore tries very hard to make sure that the Order has a good reputation as warriors of the 'Light'_, Hermione thought dryly. _But, in war, it's impossible to remain Light. The best that you can do is stay Gray_.

She watched as Mr. Weasley stunned a Death Eater and turned his back. While his back was turned, another Death Eater revived him. Before he could kill Mr. Weasley, Hermione shot a silent, bone-breaking curse. The Death Eater screamed in pain, and Hermione quickly stunned him mostly to shut him up.

When Hermione had arrived at the Great Hall, she had seen Goldengaze fighting in his human form. For a griffin that was imposing as a man, he was a very good duelist and he quickly took down a few Death Eaters with bone-breaking curses.

What had worried Hermione was when Goldengaze had suddenly stiffened in the middle of a duel. His golden eyes had gotten a far-off look before they narrowed dangerously. Then, before everyone, he changed into his true form and quickly flew out of the Great Hall and away from the battle. Hermione could only guess where he had gone in such a hurry.

When the last Death Eater was taken down, Hermione canceled her disillusion charm and quickly went to heal any injured Order members. She was healing Remus's wounded leg when Dumbledore entered the Great Hall.

"Well done my friends," he said in a voice that carried over the hall. "You have won this battle, and you have won it for the Light. We are victorious."

The Order members cheered in victory and Hermione had to bite her lip to keep herself from shouting that the biggest battle was still happening.

Professor McGonagall limped over to Dumbledore with a smile on her face. "Many of the Death Eaters fled when we overwhelmed them, Albus. You were right that we could defeat them without injuring them."

_They didn't flee, I sent them to prison_, Hermione thought coldly. She couldn't believe that her favorite professor would be so blind to Dumbledore's orders.

Dumbledore looked around the Great Hall and frowned when he saw the injured Death Eaters. "Who cast to injure?" he asked.

"Griffin did," Mr. Weasley gasped. "He fled the battle after shifting into his real shape. He's an actual griffin, Albus."

"A real griffin?" Dumbledore gasped in shock. "He must be brought to me; a griffin could be invaluable during the war."

Unable to take it, Hermione stood up and walked over to Dumbledore. "His name is Goldengaze and he's not a pawn for you to sacrifice," she snapped.

"Miss Granger!" McGonagall gasped in shock.

"No, Professor," Hermione said harshly. "Dumbledore gives orders to merely stun Death Eaters, but as soon as they're stunned they're revived and they kill you while your back is turned. I can understand not using the killing curse because that curse requires the true desire to kill. But, we're in a war, and we can't afford to simply use a fourth-year spell on our enemies. If we continue to do that, then we might as well pick out our tombstones now."

Dumbledore looked at her with cold, blue eyes. "Miss Granger, you are too young and inexperienced to understand what is needed in war. If we kill our opponents, then we are no better than they are."

Hermione smiled just as coolly. "You're wrong, Dumbledore. There is death in war, it's inevitable. But, killing in battle doesn't make you evil. What makes the Death Eaters evil is that they kill anyone and they enjoy it. So long as we don't kill for fun, then we are not on their level."

Some of the Order members nodded in agreement, but Dumbledore was not about to let a bookworm like her make him seem inferior.

"That attitude leads to becoming Dark," he said dangerously. "The way of books is not the way that life actually is. You know nothing outside of your books."

A few years ago, the insult would have made Hermione cry, but now it just brought a smile to her face. "I know more than you will ever know," she said happily.

Before she unintentionally taunted Dumbledore to act on something, Hermione ran out of the Great Hall. When she was out of earshot, she pressed her galleon.

"Are Harry and Neville still fighting?" she asked Luna.

"Yes," Luna answered, albeit a bit shakily.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked in concern.

"Dumbledore had Fawkes try to kill Fay when we were merged," Luna said. "Fay got hurt and Goldengaze saved us from falling to our deaths."

Hermione took in a sharp breath. "So that's why he left so abruptly. Are there any straggling Death Eaters in the halls?"

"No," Luna replied. "The only remaining Death Eaters are fighting Neville and Harry."

"I'll come get you and we'll join them," Hermione said. "Where are you?"

"Dark Tower."

Hermione concentrated and apparated to the top of Dark Tower. She waited while Luna deactivated her protective spells before she grabbed her best friend's hand and apparated them to where their beloveds were still fighting.

* * *

Harry wiped the sweat from his brow in a quick second before he brought his sword up to intercept a spell before retaliating with one of his own.

The Death Eaters had now lost about half of their senses, but now they were firing curses like mad, taking out both enemies and comrades. There were now about fifteen Death Eaters left alive, and they had lost most of their goblin force. Beside him, Neville was firing powerful curses of his own, aiming to seriously injure and incapacitate their opponents.

Neville had returned from his duel looking shaken and with a bit of blood on his robes, but the grim satisfaction on his face had told Harry all that he needed to know, that Bellatrix Lestrange was taken out.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted at a Death Eater who got too close to Neville. When the Death Eater's wand went flying, Neville cut him down with a swing from his sword. The Death Eater screamed in pain before dropping to the floor with a 'thud'.

"Thanks mate," Neville panted.

Harry nodded in acknowledgement and went to duel the next Death Eater.

"Aresto Momemtum!" he shouted with his wand pointed right in front of him. The Death Eater's movements started slowing and before he could retaliate, Harry shouted, "Carpe Retractum!"

A long piece of rope was conjured from his wand and wrapped its way around the advancing Death Eater. Harry then pulled the Death Eater towards him and used his other hand to stab the Death Eater in the gut with his sword.

Not wasting time to feel guilt over killing, Harry tossed the now dead, Death Eater to the side and shot a stunner at another Death Eater. When the Death Eater fell, the closest goblin finished him off.

The Death Eaters, who were still either alive or able to fight, gathered together and started making a slashing motion with their wands. Harry's eyes narrowed in anger when they all simultaneously cast the same curse that had nearly killed Hermione at the Department of Mysteries.

"Behind me!" Harry ordered. When Neville and the remaining goblins were out of harm's way, Harry put his wand in its holster and thrust his sword into the ground. He then quickly wiped his finger on one of his cuts before he rubbed it over one of the protective runes on the sword.

The sword glowed white and threw out a white, protective barrier to intercept the onslaught of curses. Under the weight of all the curses, the sword trembled, but the ancient magic of the goblins prevailed and the curses vanished.

"Goblins, fire!" Harry shouted.

Simultaneously, the goblins held out their palms and launched a barrage of fire balls. Hastily, the Death Eaters threw up shields, but not every Death Eater moved fast enough and they were consumed by flames.

"Colloshoo!" Harry shouted with his wand pointed at the floor. A sticky substance shot out of his wand and covered the floor in front of the Death Eaters. When one Death Eater stepped on it, his shoes became stuck and no matter what he tried, he wasn't going anywhere. While the Death Eaters struggled to get rid of the sticky substance, Harry fought to regain his breath.

Harry felt a tug at his waist and looked down to see a wounded goblin staring up at him.

"Lightscar," he croaked. "We do not have enough magic to launch another simultaneous attack. What are your orders?"

Harry quickly assessed the battle. There were still ten Death Eaters left standing, and they were down to only five goblins. As much as it pained Harry to admit it, the goblins were no match for the Death Eaters' ability to fire off rapid killing curses.

"Get the rest of the goblins out of here," Harry said after a moment. "There is no reason for all of you to die."

"You ask us to flee like cowards," the goblin snapped.

Harry shook his head. "I ask you to live. You and the other survivors will be crucial to the next battle. You've fought wizards and survived, we'll need your knowledge and experience. Get the others and return to your base. Neville and I will take care of the rest."

The goblin hesitated a moment before nodding. "Very well, Master Lightscar," he said respectfully. "But, you have better survive, lest Master Zux skin us alive."

Harry laughed and nodded. "I'll do my best. Now go."

The goblin nodded and quickly got the rest of his comrades together before they apparated away. Neville nodded in support when the goblins left and moved closer to Harry. Out of the shadows of the corridor where they had silently been taking down Death Eaters, Kex and Sage ran over to their wizards.

"Let's merge," Harry said confidently. "I want to take out the rest of these jokers with a couple more spells."

"_That's all that I have left in me_," Kex panted. "_A couple spells_." Beside him, Sage nodded in agreement.

"Then they'll have to be pretty effective spells," Neville said cheerfully.

The familiars body-merged and Harry could immediately tell that they had a very limited time to take out their enemies.

"Altogether," Harry instructed. "Blasting curses full power above and on."

"We'll take above," Neville/Sage said.

"Then we've got on," Harry/Kex said.

The two wizards pointed their wands at their respective targets and shouted, "Confringo!"

Neville and Sage's curse blasted the roof over the Death Eater's heads, causing hundreds of pounds of stones to fall on them, and Harry's and Kex's curse collided with the falling stone, causing the remaining Death Eaters to explode along with the rubble. A few agonized screams came from the Death Eaters, but they soon ended.

As soon as the screams ended, both wizards separated from their familiars and fell to their knees in exhaustion.

"I'm ready for a nap," Neville coughed.

Harry laughed dryly. "I'm ready to sleep for a week. We've taken down, what, forty Death Eaters?"

"Give or take a few," Neville chuckled before he stopped suddenly. "I never thought that I would be this calm after killing," he added softly.

"Either them or us," Harry said instantly. "I find it easier thinking that every Death Eater that I kill is one less that will hunt down Hermione based off of her heritage."

Neville thought about it for a moment before nodding. "That does help."

The two best friends shared a laugh and didn't notice the moving rubble in front of them. Harry wasn't aware of the green light heading right towards him until he heard a shout, "Harry!"

A gray body came from out of nowhere and shielded Harry from the killing curse. Harry's eyes widened in horror and a strangled cry came out of his throat as his savior fell to the floor, dead.

"Goldengaze!"

* * *

**A/N- I didn't want to kill Goldengaze *sniff*. But, it needed to be done. Only a couple chapters left! Review! -Phoenix**


	34. Battle Aftermath

**A/N- My February vacation ends this weekend, so I've been trying to finish this story while I had the time. Unfortunately, Goldengaze did need to die, why though won't be revealed until the sequel. Review! - Phoenix**

* * *

"Goldengaze!" Harry cried as the powerful griffin fell to the ground, dead.

Without thinking, Harry ran over to the griffin while Neville made quick work of the Death Eater who had fired the curse before running to join Harry.

"Goldengaze, wake up," Harry pleaded as he shook the griffin's shoulder. "You can't be dead; you're the Founder's chosen one. You're supposed to help us unlock Hogwarts's magic. You can't be dead."

Behind him, Sage let out a long howl of mourning, causing tears to leak from Harry's eyes. He gripped Goldengaze's feathers in his hand before pulling the limp griffin into a hug.

"I'll make sure that Willowsong and Robin are protected," he promised through the tears.

Harry moved on the floor so he could look Goldengaze straight on. The griffin's eyes were still opened and his face was frozen in a determined gaze. With trembling fingers, Harry closed his friend's eyes.

"We should take his body to Potter Manor," Neville said quietly. "Griffin feathers are very valuable and I don't want anyone to ravage his body."

Harry nodded in agreement, but his body felt frozen. Lying in front of him was yet another life that was lost because of him.

"Harry," Hermione's soft voice said behind him.

Turning around, he saw through his teary vision Hermione and Luna standing twenty feet away from them with tears running down their faces. The girls let out a sob and ran towards their beloved's arms. Luna was sobbing uncontrollably as she looked at the dead griffin.

"H-he s-s-saved me," she sobbed into Neville's chest. "I-I s-sent him h-here. It-it's m-my fault!"

"Shh," Neville said soothingly. "It's not your fault, Love. Goldengaze chose to save Harry."

That bit of news caused Hermione's head to shoot up. "He saved you?" she asked Harry gently.

Harry nodded numbly and pulled Hermione into a hug where she rested her head in the crook of his neck. "We didn't notice that a Death Eater survived. He shot a killing curse at me that Goldengaze intercepted. I'm such an idiot. If I was paying attention then Goldengaze wouldn't have had to interfere."

Hermione shook her head and clung to Harry. "You can't torture yourself over Goldengaze's death," she sniffed. "He knew what he was doing. Don't insult his death by tormenting yourself, Love. He wouldn't have wanted that."

"It just hurts," Harry said quietly.

"I know," Hermione responded just as softly. "But, our mission isn't over. We need to take care of the dead. I'll help you tend to the fallen goblins."

"_Where's Ivy and Fay_?" Kex asked in an anxious tone.

Harry looked down at Hermione who took in a deep breath. "Ivy was hurt by Dumbledore," she responded. "I took her back home."

"Dumbledore sent Fawkes after Fay and she was hurt pretty bad," Luna sniffed. "She's at home too."

"_Will they be okay_?" Sage asked in concern. It was obvious that the wolf couldn't take losing another member of his pack so soon.

Luna gave Sage a watery smile. "I hope so," she cried.

Neville kissed Luna on the top of her head. "Why don't you go and check in on her?" he gently suggested. "You can tell Winky and Dobby what has happened."

"I'll come right back," Luna sniffed. She gave Neville a deep kiss before she activated her portkey and disappeared.

As soon as Luna disappeared, Harry gave Goldengaze one last mournful gaze before he activated the griffin's portkey. The gray griffin disappeared, and Harry felt emptier than before.

"We'll need to contact Willowsong," Neville said sadly. "But I don't know how."

"How about you go to Goldengaze's office and look for anything that can be useful?" Hermione suggested. "Before Dumbledore gets to it."

Neville nodded and left the bloody corridor at a weary walk with Sage following loyally behind him.

With a weary heart, Harry and Hermione started tending to their fallen comrades. Harry instructed Hermione on the proper ways to tend to a warrior's body on the field. Their eyes were to be closed and their weapons put on their chest with their hands around the hilt. Each body was lined up against the wall and when every single body was present, Harry chanted in Gobbledegook (**A/N- no joke, that's the language)** and held out his palms. Out of his palms, white fire shot and quickly consumed the bodies. With his arm around Hermione and Kex on his shoulder, Harry watched while he unashamedly had tears running down his cheeks.

Within a few minutes, the bodies were reduced to ashes and the blades remained, albeit blackened. As per goblin tradition, the blades would be put in the Field of Honor in the goblin kingdom and the ashes would be scattered to the winds.

Harry quickly blasted the remainder of the wall away, revealing the beautiful countryside. He then cast a simple wind charm and bowed respectfully as the wind took the ashes of his fallen comrades farther and farther away. When the ashes were gone, then the blades glowed white before vanishing.

Only when the hall was clear of the honorable warriors' ashes did Harry and Hermione start rounding up the Death Eater bodies. Hermione did a spell on each one to check that they were really dead. They didn't treat their enemies' bodies respectfully at all. They didn't even touch them. Using their wands' gems stored power they simply levitated the bodies in a line. Hermione had to levitate Lucius back up to the corridor and she had to conjure a sign with Lucius' name on it to put on his chest because his face had been smashed in from the fall to the point where it was almost unrecognizable.

They were almost done rounding up the remainder of the bodies when Dumbledore and the Order showed up. When they saw the forty-plus dead Death Eaters, they froze in shock.

"Harry," Dumbledore gasped. "You had the goblins murder like savages? I am very disappointed in you."

Harry had had enough. He was not in the mood to deal with Dumbledore. "Those goblins were some of the finest men that I have had the pleasure to fight beside," he said coldly. "They knew what had to be done. You preach about not hurting Death Eaters, but then when the Death Eaters eventually escape and kill again you don't take the blame. We're in a war, and in a war it's sometimes necessary to take lives."

Remus stepped forward. "Harry, you didn't cast the killing curse did you?"

"No, Remus," Harry said with a shake of his head. "But, I did take down my fair share of Death Eaters. I aim to survive, and that means that I will kill if I have to."

Dumbledore shook his head disappointedly. "That is the path to the Dark my boy," he said sadly.

Harry scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I'm not part of the Dark, but I'm also not part of the Light. I'm simply Gray. I'll fight for what's right, but I won't hesitate to kill if necessary. Now if you excuse me," he said, grabbing Hermione's hand. "I'm going home."

"Mister Potter," McGonagall said harshly. "You will do no such thing at this moment. You have killed and you need to accept the consequences."

"I will accept the consequences of fighting to survive," Harry said with a sigh. "But, I think that you'll find that in accordance to the law, I was simply defending myself and I cannot be charged with murder. It's not like I went after the Death Eaters to kill them and that makes all the difference."

"Let's go to my office," Dumbledore said firmly. "There is much for us to discuss."

For a second, Harry was tempted to object, but with a heavy sigh he agreed. He started following Dumbledore with Hermione right behind him.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said when he noticed her presence. "This is a discussion for Mister Potter and myself."

"Where Harry goes, I go," Hermione said defiantly with Harry nodding in agreement.

"I must insist," Dumbledore began.

"And I insist that my fiancé be present," Harry interrupted.

Without waiting for Dumbledore's response, Harry took Hermione's hand in his own and they continued walking towards Dumbledore's office. They waited for the angry wizard at the entrance and they both got some satisfaction at the anger that Dumbledore was barely managing to suppress. When they were in the office, Harry and Hermione saw down with their wands hidden in their sleeves. They weren't taking any chances.

"I do not care for the blood that you have shed in my school, Harry," Dumbledore began. "The way of the Light requires that we do not kill."

"And that's bloody stupid," Harry interrupted. "We're in a war, there's bound to be deaths."

"That is the same opinion that Tom Riddle expressed too," Dumbledore said with a smirk.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Being realistic does not make me evil. Now, is there anything useful that you wanted to tell me?"

Dumbledore's eyes flashed and Harry felt an attack on his mind. He threw up his Occlumency shields, but his shields weren't as impressive as Hermione's and they nearly cracked under the pressure. Hermione swiftly grabbed Harry's hand and used her own shield to protect Harry and Dumbledore was thrown back into his seat in surprise.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't try to mind-rape my fiancé again," Hermione said icily. "Now, say what you want so we can leave."

"I merely wanted to make sure that you weren't being possessed," Dumbledore said with a false smile.

"Speak or we leave," Harry said angrily. "I have places to be and deaths to honor."

"I want to give you lessons," Dumbledore began. "On the life of Tom Riddle so that you can better understand your enemy. If you kill him now then he will come back."

Harry sighed and stood up with Hermione following suit. "We already know about the horcruxes. We don't need your help."

"What? How?" Dumbledore gasped.

Taking Hermione's hand, they began walking back towards the stairs. "You aren't as brilliant as you think you are," Harry said, and then they were gone.

* * *

When they arrived back home, they were immediately engulfed in a hug by Winky who threw her arms around their legs.

"Master and Misses is okay," she sobbed.

Harry and Hermione both knelt down and hugged the little elf. "We're okay," Harry whispered.

"How are Ivy and Fay?" Hermione asked.

Winky sniffed a couple times before stepping back. "Ivy is fine, but Fay is still really hurt. I did all that I can Misses."

Hermione stood up and ignored the sting coming from her wounded side. "Where is she? I'll try and help her."

"In the dining room," Winky answered. She studied Hermione for a moment before adding firmly, "And I is expecting to see you too when you're done. Winky can see that you are injured."

"You're hurt?" Harry immediately demanded. Before Hermione could stop him, he put a hand on her side causing her to hiss in pain. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Hermione smiled and kissed Harry on the cheek. "It's not that bad. I got caught with a gauging curse, but I healed most of it. Worry about me later."

Before Harry could protest, she made her way to the dining room. All of the medical supplies that they had were currently in there as the room was turned into their temporary sick bay. Although the remainder goblins were back at their base, the room was still occupied.

Ivy was sitting on the table with a worried expression on her face. Her back was covered with a burn salve and her back leg was heavily wrapped. When Hermione entered, she turned to her and smiled.

"_I almost apparated to you ten times_," she said. "_I can tell that you're hurt_."

"I'm alright." Hermione gave Ivy a quick kiss on the head before continuing further down to where Luna was sitting in a chair with her head bowed.

On the table, Fay was sprawled out with her stomach covered in bandages. The falcon's breath was uneasy and when Hermione touched her she was hot with fever.

"Winky has done everything," Luna cried. "Please save her, Hermione."

Hermione was already working. She took out her illegal wand and frowned when she noticed that the gem was almost out of power. And she didn't have much left herself.

"Is your gem still full?" she asked Luna. When Luna nodded yes Hermione continued, "I need more power. Transfer your gem's power to mine."

Luna took out her wand and tapped it against the gem on Hermione's. The glow from Luna's wand flowed into Hermione's and Hermione went to work.

She gently took the bandages off of Fay and winced in sympathy at the damage. The talon marks were easily half an inch thick and Hermione could tell that infection was already sitting in.

"Winky said that the wounds are resistant to her magic," Luna said miserably. "Something about phoenix wounds. And when I tried to heal her I could only stop the bleeding."

"Luna," Hermione began gently. "Maybe you should leave. What I have to do is going to hurt her…"

Luna shook her head stubbornly. "I'm not leaving her."

With a heavy sigh, Hermione nodded. The first thing she did was do some gentle cleaning spells on the wound. With all the dirt clean from the wound, she cast a spell to get rid of infection. It wouldn't get rid of it completely, but it was a start. She then took a bottle of essence of dittany and added a couple drops to it. Fay started thrashing in her feverish state as the wound began burning, but quickly exhausted herself and lied still as the dittany did its work.

When the wound healed up more, Hermione took a damp rag and gently wiped the wound clean. She then took a magically strengthened antibiotic cream and rubbed a layer on Fay before putting fresh bandages on the wound. She gave Fay a few drops of blood-replenishing potion, fever-reducer potion, and pain potion.

"I can't give her any more than that, it would cause more harm than good," Hermione explained to an anxious Luna. "I'll give her more every couple hours. If you want to stay with her, I'm sure that she would be comforted by that. I don't want to move her a lot."

Luna nodded and gave Hermione a tight hug. "Thank you," she cried. "I couldn't bear to lose her too right after losing Goldengaze."

Hermione returned the hug. "Do you know where his body is?"

"Outside," Luna answered with a soft sob. "He always loved the Potter Grounds. I wanted him to be at peace."

"That's a great idea. Would you do me a favor and help me tend to my side?"

Luna quickly agreed and helped a hurting Hermione take off her top so she was only wearing a bra. Originally, the gouging spell had taken off quite a bit of flesh and Hermione's spell had only healed the basic damage, it hadn't restored her side. The gouge wound was no longer bleeding and it looked as if it was days old, but the wound was still red and inflamed and it would take a while for it to heal completely.

"Bloody hell Hermione," Luna gasped. "That looks like it hurts."

"It does sting a bit," Hermione admitted. "I need you to put some essence of dittany on it, two drops should do, and then add a little bit of that antibiotic cream."

"You're sounding like a healer," Luna remarked as she started doing what Hermione instructed.

Hermione hissed as the dittany made contact with her skin. "I've made a vow to become a healer after the war. In an attempt to make up for the lives that I've taken and will take."

Luna nodded supportively. "That's a wonderful idea, Hermione. You'll make a wonderful healer. I don't know what I'll do, but I'll do something good. Life is too precious to waste."

When Hermione's side was completely wrapped up and her shirt back on, she gave Luna another hug and went to pick up Ivy. They then went outside where Harry was sitting on the grass next to Goldengaze's body.

"You're alright? And Fay?" he asked her when she sat down. Ivy carefully limped out of Hermione's arms and cuddled up next to Kex.

"Little sore, but I'm fine. Fay will hopefully be alright, but I've done everything that I could," Hermione replied as she leaned into Harry. "What are you doing?"

Harry took in a deep breath as he forced himself not to cry. "I'm waiting for Willowsong. Something tells me that she knows that Goldengaze is dead and that she'll come to us. I wanted to be the one to tell her why her mate is dead."

Hermione pulled Harry's head down so that he was lying in her lap. There she lovingly stroked his hair. "She won't resent you," she said. "I'm sure that Willowsong knew that Goldengaze would be in danger during the war. It's our responsibility to take care of Willowsong and Robin as best we can."

"Goldengaze should be the one taking care of them," Harry whispered. "I don't want to lose anyone else."

"I don't either," Hermione said just as softly.

They waited with each other on the grounds for a few hours without bothering to change and wash up. Neville had checked in to report that he hadn't found anything of use and Hermione had left to check on Fay, but other than that they stayed still and quiet.

They were about to call it a night and go back inside when Harry stiffened.

"What is it?" Hermione asked sleepily.

Harry sat up and wiped his eyes. "Willowsong and Robin are almost here. I can feel their grief."

He was right. Five minutes later, a large shape was seen flying over the grounds and landed right in front of them. It was a beautiful, light-brown griffin and on her back was a dark-brown griffin that was the size of a medium dog.

"Willowsong," Harry choked out. "I'm Harry Potter."

Willowsong gazed at Harry tiredly. "I know who you are," she said in a song-like voice. She walked past Harry and sobbed as she buried her head in Goldengaze's cold feathers.

The little griffin jumped off of her mother's back and cuddled against Goldengaze's body. When she looked at Harry, Harry had to take a step back. While Robin's body looked more like her mother, her eyes were gold, just like her father's.

"Robin," Harry sniffed. "Your father was a brave warrior and it was an honor to know him. He gave up his life to save mine, and I will never forget that."

Robin looked from her father to Harry. Her gold eyes were dull with grief, but they still had the spark that Goldengaze's always had. "Daddy must have liked you then," she said simply. "And if Daddy liked you, then I will like you."

That was too much for Harry. He fell to his knees and began sobbing uncontrollably whilst repeating apologies over and over. Willowsong looked from her dead mate and observed Harry with emotionless eyes while Robin tilted her head curiously. She then walked over to Harry and cuddled next to him. For a moment, they were kin, out of their grief for the honorable griffin who had departed from the world far too soon.

* * *

**A/N- I miss Goldengaze *sniff*. Next chapter is the epilogue! Boo ya! Review! -Phoenix**


	35. Toward Tomorrow

**A/N- I was sick today so I got the chance to finish writing my story. Review! -Phoenix**

* * *

It had been a week since the battle and the school year was over. Students were getting ready to return home for the summer and the castle was going to be repaired while the students were gone. The battle was talked about with excitement by everyone except the teachers, Slytherins, and the Heirs.

Harry had willingly offered to help restore the castle with Neville not far behind him. It was only fair because they had destroyed their fair share of it. Harry wouldn't let Hermione help because her side was still sore so she opted to making Willowsong and Robin comfortable on Potter Grounds.

After they buried Goldengaze in the grounds, Willowsong had announced that she wished to live on Potter Grounds with Robin so that they would still be close to Goldengaze. Harry was more than happy to oblige. The mother and daughter were now working on making their new home in the nearby cliffs.

Fay had pulled through her injuries and was currently taking it easy as Hermione advised her against flying for a couple more weeks. The falcon was still very sore, but grateful to be alive. She had grown very close to Robin as both of them were unable to fly. The young griffin had named herself as Fay's personal caregiver when Luna wasn't nearby.

There had been quite the uproar over all of the pureblood deaths. Ten of the killed Death Eaters, Lucius included, were on the Wizengamot and the remaining purebloods on the court had demanded that the Heirs be incarcerated for murdering those of higher status.

"They have no case," Hermione had pointed out. "They attacked us."

As always, Hermione had been right. The evidence that the dead purebloods were Death Eaters was so concrete that the charges didn't make it past Amelia Bones' desk.

At the Black prison, they had secured twenty Death Eaters. Hermione had interrogated every one of them and had found out some useful information.

Apparently Voldemort had been planning on murdering Fudge's replacement as Minister, Rufus Scrimgeour, and then effectively take over the Ministry. However, that plan wouldn't be happening so long as Dumbledore was alive which was not supposed to happen.

Hermione searched every Death Eater's mind carefully, looking for any information on where the remaining horcruxes might be. She had found a lead in one unimportant Death Eater that lead to a gross little shack. While Harry and Neville were at Hogwarts, Hermione and Luna along with a few goblin specialists had gone to the shack and recovered the next horcrux, a ring.

After Harry and Neville angrily berated their loves for going on such a dangerous mission without them, they destroyed the horcrux and put the ring in a secure spot in Potter Manor where the other former horcruxes were kept.

Luna and Neville continued their respective training while Hermione anxiously waited for the true elves to come to her. Something inside of her told her that she shouldn't tell Harry about the true elves coming for her, and though she absolutely hated keeping something from Harry, she felt that it was necessary. Because, she had no way of knowing where the true elves would take her and how long she would be gone.

* * *

Harry wiped his forehead free of sweat before levitating another stone in place. It was the day that all the students went home, and he wanted to finish the wall that he had started that day. Kex lazily sat on the floor, telling Harry where to put the stone.

"You could help you know," Harry panted as he took a deep drink from his water bottle.

Kex scratched his pelt. "_I know. But those stones are bigger than I am, and I would hate to have another familiar get hurt. People might start thinking that you're abusing us_."

"Ha ha," Harry said sarcastically.

He finished the wall and picked up Kex before they started heading towards Dumbledore's office where he was going to meet with the Minister of Magic and the head of the DMLE, Amelia Bones. They were finally going to put the "Pureblood Massacre" as some called it, to rest.

When they entered the office, Harry frowned as he noticed that his friends were not present. Dumbledore sat behind his desk with his patronizing smile on his face with Scrimgeour and Amelia Bones sitting on the chairs while they awaited his arrival.

"Hello Mister Potter," Dumbledore said pleasantly. "I'm glad that you were able to come so quickly."

"What do you want?" Harry asked crudely. "I've got more work to do."

Scrimgeour scowled at Harry's apparent disrespect. "I am here to follow up on all of the Wizengamot Members that were murdered by your goblins. Those savages murdered good people and we need to take action."

"_They can't take action against you so they're taking action against the goblins_," Kex said angrily. "_I really hate your government_."

"Ditto," Harry mumbled. "Those brave goblins gave their lives protecting the school and its students from being hurt or worse," he said to the Minister coldly. "Trying to put the blame on others is not what it means to be a good leader. Those purebloods were Death Eaters and they were taken care of more effectively than you would have been able to do."

Scrimgeour glared daggers at Harry. "I am your Minister," he snapped.

Harry shrugged. "If it weren't for us, you would have been Voldemort's next target."

Dumbledore frowned. "And how do you know that my boy?"

"It's common sense," he snapped back. "Voldemort is exactly the type to kill the Minister of Magic and take over the Ministry from behind the curtain. Is there anything worth my time that you wanted to tell me? I won't testify against the goblins if that's the only reason you're here."

Scrimgeour grunted. "Action needs to be taken," he said. "The Ministry can't look incapable of defending its people. If we can hold the goblins accountable for this then things will be better for our world."

Harry rolled his eyes. "God forbid that a politician actually be truthful. The goblins saved your arse. The Death Eaters who the goblins killed were dangerous and had to be taken care of. It's plain and simple."

Taking great pleasure in it, Harry turned his back on the Minister of Magic and his Headmaster and promptly left the office. Behind him he could hear the Minister shouting, "Potter!" but he ignored it. As a Lord of two Houses, there was little that Scrimgeour could do to him.

He returned to the Great Hall to assist with the rebuilding. Surprisingly, most of the damage had been done there caused by the Order even though they had fewer Death Eaters to fight.

When he arrived at the Great Hall he saw Neville, McGonagall, Flitwick and Hagrid were doing most of the grunt work for fixing the damages while some students did their best to try and assist. He immediately walked up to Neville who was easily doing the most work.

"Hey mate," Neville panted as he placed yet another stone firmly in place in the floor. "How was the Headmaster's?"

Harry rolled his eyes and sat down heavily. "Scrimgeour wanted to put the blame on the goblins. I told him off and walked out."

Neville frowned at this. "I don't think we need another enemy, Harry."

Harry shrugged. "We already have Voldemort and Dumbledore. What's one more?"

That brought a dry chuckle out of him.

"_Where's_ _Sage_?" Kex asked, noticing the wolf's absence.

Neville sat down across from Harry. "He went with Hermione to the grounds. Hermione said something about wanting a tracker."

"Hermione has been acting somewhat off," Harry noted. "I think she's more grieved than she's letting on."

"Maybe," Neville said, unsure. "Anyway, let's keep working; I'd like to be home before dinner for a change."

The two Heirs continued working while Kex "supervised" their progress. Between Harry and Neville's raw power, they accomplished more within the hour than the teachers did all day.

They finished repairing the ceiling when there was a flash of red hair coming their way. Harry groaned, it was apparently too much to ask that Ginny leave him alone.

"Ginny," Harry said curtly without pausing his work. "Do you need something?"

Ginny kept her flirtatious smile on her face and ran her hands down Harry's back, causing him to stiffen. "I just wanted to thank you for saving us all again," she purred. "Will you come to the Burrow this summer? I would love to spend the summer with you."

Harry shrugged off Ginny's touch. He could feel her lust for him using his empathy and it made him feel sick. "I won't be coming to your home," he said coolly. "I'm going to be staying at my home with my fiancé all summer."

"Why are you with that bookworm?" Ginny demanded. "I am much more worthy to be the Lady Potter-Black!"

"No you aren't," Harry snapped back. "You don't love me; you lust for my money and fame. Why could I want you when I could live with Hermione by my side for the rest of my life?"

Ginny's face flushed red in fury. "We are betrothed," she insisted. "You have no right to promise yourself to that loser."

"That contract was done without my consent and only applied to Lord Potter, not Lord Potter-Black," Harry said through clenched teeth. "And even if I weren't Lord Potter-Black, I'd sooner give up my birthright to the Potter House than be your husband."

"You don't mean that," Ginny fumed. She grabbed onto Harry's wrist and pulled him towards her. Before Harry knew what she was doing, she brought her lips to his and began kissing him lustfully.

Harry felt his body freeze in horror and disgust as Ginny continued to kiss him and began jamming her tongue in his mouth. It was nothing like kissing Hermione who was gentle and loving. Kissing Ginny was like kissing someone who was clearly marking their territory. It didn't feel good at all.

The sheer shock of Ginny kissing him in the Great Hall in front of everyone was enough to make him freeze and not pull away. It wasn't until he felt an overwhelming sense of hurt and betrayal that he finally shook himself out of it and push the Weasley away. He turned to the door of the Great Hall and felt his heart clench at the sight.

Leaning against the door for support was Hermione. Her mouth was open in shock and tears were running freely down her cheeks. She had obviously just walked in to see her fiancée kissing another woman; she didn't see him being forced to. By her side Sage was snarling profanities at Ginny and Ivy's tail was bristling so much in anger that it was nearly twice its normal size.

"Don't stop my love," Ginny said, loudly enough to be carried back to Hermione. She started to move back to kiss Harry once more. The motion was too much for Hermione to bear and she turned tail and sprinted away from the Great Hall with Ivy right behind her.

"Hermione! Wait!" Harry called. He ungraciously ripped his arm away from Ginny, making her fall on the floor in the process, and started sprinting after her, leaving a stunned Kex and Neville behind. He was shocked when Sage started running with him.

"_She's leaving Harry_!" Sage barked urgently. "_They came for her. She was coming to tell you, but now she'll leave and I don't know when we'll see her again_!"

Harry started running faster. "Who's coming for her?" he demanded.

Sage was built for running long distances at a quick pace and kept up with Harry effortlessly. "_She asked me to come with her to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to help her look around. Apparently she was contacted by the true elves during her duel with Malfoy and they said that they would come for her when the time came. They contacted her by the woods and she was coming to tell you when she saw you_."

"Bugger," Harry cursed.

Sage took the lead and led Harry down towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest. In the distance, they could see Hermione running down the hill towards the edge of the forest.

"Hermione, please wait!" Harry begged. "Let me explain!"

Whether it was his pleas or her running out of steam, Hermione began to slow down. During that time Harry caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

"Let me go," Hermione cried as she punched Harry in the chest. "I saw you! In the Great Hall in front of everyone!"

"She forced me!" Harry objected desperately. "Hermione, I love **you**!"

Hermione scoffed and pulled her arm back. "You didn't seem to mind the kiss from where I was standing."

Harry shook his head desperately. "Neville will tell you! Ginny forced me! Please Hermione, don't go. Don't leave me."

The sheer desperation in his voice made some of Hermione's anger melt, Harry could feel it. But the hurt was too deep for it to go away all at once.

"I want to marry **you**," he whispered as he gently pulled her into a hug. "It has always been you, Hermione. You're my whole world and I can't bear to lose you."

Hermione didn't return the hug. Her rationalizing mind was trying to tell her that Harry would never cheat on her, but her heart wouldn't hear it. It only felt the pain and betrayal of her love kissing another woman.

Stifling a sob, Hermione pushed Harry away. Her eyes were full of tears but she was refusing to let them fall. "I need to go," she said simply.

"No," Harry said desperately as he grabbed Hermione's hands. "Sage told me that the true elves came for you, but please don't leave me. Not like this."

Hermione turned her head towards the forest as if listening to someone talking to her. It lasted for a few seconds then Hermione turned back to Harry and kissed him softly on the lips.

"I've got to go," she said softly. "They're waiting for me."

Harry tightened his grip on her. "Why can't they come to you?"

Hermione sighed and leaned into Harry's chest. "They won't reveal themselves to humans other than me."

"How long will you be gone?" Harry asked, fearing the answer.

"I don't know," Hermione answered honestly. She took in a shuddering breath and stepped away from Harry. "I'm going to go," she whispered. She walked over to Sage and put a gentle hand on his head. "Will you tell everyone that I'm sorry that I left without a goodbye? And that I love them all very much?"

Sage nodded and touched his cold nose to Hermione's hand in a wolf kiss. "_I'll tell them_," he promised. "_Just be careful_."

"I will," Hermione promised in return.

She walked back to Harry and gave him another small kiss on the lips. Then, to Harry's absolute horror, she began taking off her engagement ring.

"No," he gasped in pain as she put the ring in his hand and closed it.

"I am not to bring any personal items with me," she explained softly. "Will you hold onto that for me?"

"You still want to marry me?" Harry asked hopefully.

Hermione chuckled and nodded. "Of course I do you prat," she said playfully. "I'll use this time to think about what happened and when I return I will expect that ring to be put back on my finger."

Harry kissed the ring and put it in his pocket. "It's yours, now and forever," he promised. "I'll wait for you. Just please, don't leave angry with me."

"I could never stay angry at you," Hermione answered with a teary smile. She then took off her wand holsters, portkey, and all other personal items on her and gave them to Harry.

"You can't bring your wands?" Harry asked worriedly.

"All I can bring are the robes on my back," Hermione answered. "Ivy is coming as is her right as my familiar, but other than that I am not to bring anything. Not even my books," she added with a scowl.

That brought a laugh out of Harry. He put the items in his pockets and pulled Hermione in a tight hug before kissing her passionately. That was the right way to kiss someone. A kiss that was so full of love and tenderness that he felt that his heart would explode from beating so fast. No matter how hard Ginny tried, she would never take Hermione's place. For now and forever, Hermione was his love.

After a minute of kissing, they came up for air. Hermione looked at Harry tenderly and cupped his cheek. "I love you," she said lovingly.

"I love you too," Harry whispered just as lovingly. "Please come back soon."

"I've always been a quick study," Hermione joked.

They shared one last kiss then Hermione picked Ivy up off of the ground and began walking to the edge of the Forest. She looked back and gave Harry a loving smile and stepped over the border. Harry watched in amazement as she disappeared seemingly into thin air.

Harry stood there in silence for a while with Sage waiting patiently beside him.

"_She'll come back to you_," Sage said confidently. "_Hermione is a smart girl, she'll come to realize that you would never cheat on her_."

"You think so?" Harry asked hopefully.

The wolf nodded and began walking back towards the castle. "_Of course I do. If there's something that I've learned, it's that Gryffindor's and Slytherin's destinies are always intertwined just like Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's. You and Hermione need each other, just like Neville and Luna need each other. She'll be back and you'll both be just as happy as before, if not more so_."

The two walked back to the castle where they met up with Kex and Neville. After explaining what happened, they went back to Potter Manor. While Sage went to fulfill his promise to pass on Hermione's message with Neville and Kex, Harry went to Goldengaze's grave alone.

The honorable griffin had been buried on top of the tallest hill where the view was the most beautiful and the breeze was constant. When he got up there he blinked in surprise to see that he wasn't the only one there.

"Hello, Willowsong," Harry said hesitantly, not wanting to disturb Goldengaze's mate.

The beautiful griffin raised her weary head from the fresh mound of dirt and gave Harry a kind look. "Hello, Harry," she answered. She used her tail to gesture Harry to sit down next to her. "You seem troubled," she observed.

"Hermione went to join the true elves," Harry said sadly.

Willowsong nodded understandingly. "She told me that she would be joining them to finish training," she admitted.

Harry sighed and looked longingly at the sky. "Do you think Goldengaze is at peace?" he asked softly.

Willowsong looked up at the sky with a hint of a smile. "I really do. Undoubtedly I miss him. But he did what was right. It just shows that even immortals are susceptible to death."

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered. "You lost your mate, Robin lost her father, and Hogwarts lost its protector. And all because of me."

"It wasn't your fault," Willowsong said softly. She stood up and shook out her graceful wings and looked at Harry with serious eyes. "And Harry, Hogwarts has not lost its protector. A week before he died, Goldengaze passed the Founder's Blessing on."

Harry gaped at her. "To who?"

Willowsong spread her wings and prepared to take off. "He passed it onto our daughter," she answered. Without waiting for Harry's response, she took off and flew towards the cliffs.

Harry stared after Willowsong, completely shocked. He sat next to Goldengaze's grave for an hour, just contemplating what Willowsong had just told him. Then, to his shock, he started to laugh.

"Goldengaze, you clever bastard!" Harry laughed, tears running down his face. "You knew that you were likely to die so you took steps to make sure that the Founder's Blessing would not be lost. That's why Robin's eyes have the same spark that yours did. I promise, Goldengaze, that I will do everything in my power to protect your daughter just like you protected me."

Above Potter Manor, a gentle breeze blew across the land. The battle may have been won, at terrible cost, but the war had just begun. The Spiritual Heirs of Hogwarts had yet to complete their destiny, but when they did they would take the whole magical world by storm.

* * *

**A/N- Finite! Thank you all for sticking with me through this story. I have loved writing it and I do intend to start a sequel. I just don't know when I'll get it started; I'll probably focus a little on my other stories for a while. Keep an eye out for the sequel! -Phoenix**


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